Munition Mania on Martha's Vineyard

Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts Police bomb squad technicians responded to a remote section of a barrier beach at Cape Pogue on Martha's Vineyard when two WWII practice rounds were discovered.

Three-pound AN-MK-23 practice bombs were found on the beach at Little Neck, part of the Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge. The 62-acre refuge area has been closed to the public for years because of frequent discoveries of ordnance.

Several Vineyard beaches were used as part of bomb target practice during WWII. Bombs are often unearthed by erosion along beach embankments. From 2008 to 2014, over 602 munitions were found at Cape Pogue, 88 of which contained explosives.

The Massachusetts State Police bomb squad determined that the items were inert and removed them from the beach.

The USACE has announced plans for a major cleanup of WWWII-era ordnance on Chappaquiddick next spring.