Archaeology Increasingly Present in UXO Projects

The following is an article by guest author Jim Christensen

UXO projects around the United States and its territories have, with increasing frequency, been tasked with compliance for cultural resource and archaeological regulations. Many contractors in the UXO industry work for many years all over the US without having had to deal with archaeology. When they are first faced with the requirement, many are ill prepared to adapt to the challenges. It is important to raise the awareness of contractors, because nothing can throw a monkey wrench in a project quite as fast as archaeology. It's much easier to be successful if the costs, logistics, and protocols for cultural resource monitoring are taken into account proactively. It's even better if the safety plan integrates all the specialists required to complete the project under one, cohesive strategy. Failure to consider this aspect can negatively impact profitability and, worse, safety.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and 36CFR800 dictate that a federal project with the potential to impact cultural resource sites must take into consideration those possible impacts. The law does not specify that only archaeological sites must be considered, but at present that is what is being enforced most frequently. Other aspects of cultural resources such as traditional use areas, hunting and fishing, etc. could all be lumped under this law as well. In today's regulatory environment, those other aspects are not usually addressed.

Because archaeological sites are considered to be those locations with evidence of human activity 50 years old or older, UXO remediation projects are likely to impact archaeological sites. When most metallic anomalies are targeted for removal, and metallic items make up the bulk of the assemblage of most historic sites, we are in essence destroying historic sites over a broad area by removing artifacts from context. This does not take into account inadvertent impacts to prehistoric sites as a result of intrusive excavation by techs not trained to identify prehistoric materials.

As a result, the lead agency, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the land managing agency, and Tribes may advise the presence of an archaeologist. This can create obvious challenges in terms of productivity, as well as safety.

Though the NHPA has been around since 1966, we are only recently seeing it affect the industry. UXO projects are usually federal undertakings in which the NHPA applies. In fact, it has always applied, but for a variety of reasons, UXO techs never saw archs on the grid.

Prior to letting the contract, Army Corps of Engineers, land managing agencies, or installations traditionally signed off on a statement that UXO remediation was not likely to impact archaeological sites. If the SHPO and Tribes signed off on that determination, the project was in compliance and could move forward with no further work needed.

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Soldier Tries to Sell Stolen C4

Fort Hood, Texas An Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood is accused of trying to sell a 1.25 pound block of C4 which he reportedly stole from a training exercise. Tyler Glen Patrick, 23-year-old, is charged with possession and transportation of stolen explosive material.

The case is currently under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. If convicted, Patrick faces up to ten years in federal prison.

UXO Guest Author - Jim Christensen, Archaeologist

Jim Christensen is a contract archaeologist serving the UXO, defense, energy, and mining markets. With over 20 years of experience, Jim has worked throughout the U.S. helping clients navigate different regulatory issues.

Cross trained as a UXO Technician Level I, Jim is able to work inside the grid during intrusive investigations, eliminating the need to start and stop operations. This approach gives clients an advantage, allowing them to better demonstrate their compliance with federal regulations.

Jim currently serves as Vice President for ACR Consultants UXO Division. He works with his fiancé, Hillary Jones, who is a geoarchaeologist and is also cross-trained as a UXO Technician Level I.

Merry Christmas From UXOInfo.com

EOD Testifies At Inquiry About Fire Caused By Training

Sydney, Australia Australian EOD officers have testified before a commission of inquiry who are investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire at the Marrangaroo Training Area in Lithgow. The fire, which started on October 16, was found to be started during an EOD training exercise. As is continued burning for nearly a month, it became known as the State Mine fire and destroyed five homes and seven structures in the Lithgow area. Before being extinguished, the fire covered 50,000 hectares (approximately 123,000 acres).

Australian EOD Warrant Officer Andrew Newsome told the inquiry that his staff attempted to put out the fire with shovels and a hose, but the flames were just too high to control. Testimony also indicated that Defence personnel fighting the blaze were almost hit by fragmentation from UXO that exploded in the area due to the fire. In his testimony, Newsome told the committee, "There wasn't really anything we could do to fight that end of the fire...We couldn't get to the face of it ... there might have been more unexploded bombs."

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Explosives Safety Trumps Air Pollution Threat

Tooele, Utah After discovering that a 17-ton cache of ordnance was at risk of self-ignition, the Tooele Army Depot detonated 28,000 target simulators over nine days this month, even on days when particulate pollution blanketed the Salt Lake Valley.

According to Rick Page of the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste, State officials granted the munitions depot an emergency permit to explode the simulators when it was discovered that some explosive material was crystallizing on the outside of the packaging. This set up a conflict between public safety and public health in which officials determined that it was necessary to continue detonating the old ordnance and open burning on days when the "clearing index," a measure of atmospheric mixing, is low and conducive to pollution buildup.

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WWII Projectile Discovered at Mayor's Office

Barrigad, Guam EOD Mobile Unit 5 Detachment Marianas responded to a call of an ordnance found at the Barrigada Mayor's Office yesterday afternoon. The World War II, five-inch projectile was deemed safe by Navy EOD technicians who transported it to Naval Magazine for disposal.

According to reports, the detachment has responded to 66 calls and conducted seven render safe procedures on Guam during this year alone. Island residents are reminded to call 911 if they come across ordnance or what may look like ordnance.

Upcoming Event - M2S2 Webinar on Quality

The FY14 Military Munitions Support Services (M2S2) webinars are almost upon us. Please be sure to register at http://www.clu-in.org/live/

FY13 was the inaugural year for the Military Munitions Support Services (M2S2) webinar series and industry participation helped make it a tremendous success.

For FY14, each webinar will be organized around a central M2S2 theme and will offer a variety of subject matter experts speaking on specific topics related to the theme.

The schedule and theme for the FY14 M2S2 webinars is shown below starting with the December 19 webinar on quality.

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That Doorstop Was "the Bomb" -- Literally

Sudbury, United Kingdom When Madeline Turner's grandfather returned home from WWI, he brought home a memento which for years his family would use as a doorstop. But it was recently almost destroyed when police and bomb disposal experts were called in by its owner.

The war artifact raised suspicion in Ms. Turner, who feared it may be a live bomb when she came across it while preparing her late mother's house for sale.

The 97-year-old shell had been hidden away on the back of a shelf and forgotten about for many years. After x-raying the munition, the bomb squad deemed the item inert and actually allowed her to keep it for sentimental reasons.

"Family Heirloom" Ordnance Leads to Five Hour Shutdown

Bluffton, South Carolina EOD team members from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort were called to the Bluffton Police Department on Monday morning after a man brought old military ordnance to the police station for disposal. The incident forced the shutdown of the area surrounding the department for close to five hours.

The man who brought in the munitions said they had been in his family for years and that it had been brought to the area from New York. The material is set to be disposed of pending identification according to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort public affairs officer Cpl. Ronald Driver.

The exact type of munitions involved were not reported but are believed to be WWI and WWII-era ordnance.

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