San Miguel Island to Remain Closed Due To UXO Potential

San Miguel Island, California DoD-owned San Miguel Island, off the Southern California coast, will likely be closed for another year as the U.S. Navy investigates whether UXO remain on the island. The island has been closed to the public since April.

The last record of UXO found on the island was in the 1980s, but recent discoveries of metal objects in public areas are cause for concern according to a spokeswoman for Naval Base Ventura County.

San Miguel was in an active bomb testing range from WWII through to the 1970s, and officials are concerned that UXO still remain on some parts of the island. Closure came in response to concerns of incomplete records indicating clean-up efforts after weapons testing ended. Officials started looking into the records after a request by the National Park Service to expand recreational opportunities on the island.