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.

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Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On

Butlerville, Indiana Many area residents were calling in to authorities to inquire about a mysterious boom that rattled homes in southern Indiana. The sound and its related tremors have been traced to the routine detonation of a live ordnance at the Jefferson Proving Ground.

According to Range Commander Lt. Col. Ken Stone, the extreme cold temperatures allowed the blast's shockwave to travel for several miles, creating a much larger shockwave than would occur with normal temperatures.

Marines Clear Way to Expand Townsend Range

McIntosh County, Georgia The Marine Corps released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluated potential environmental impacts of acquiring additional property and constructing the necessary infrastructure to allow the use of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) at Townsend Bombing Range . The Final EIS supported the alternative to procure 28,630 acres and the construction of six new target areas.

If the range expansion happens, it would significantly increase the size of the current range by over 6.5 times its current size. Notice of the Final EIS was posted in the Federal Register and is subject to a 30-day waiting period before the Marine Corps can take any action to implement the selected alternative.

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Proposed Plan Out for Review For CAIS Site

Cherokee, Oklahoma The USACE Oklahoma District is seeking public comment on the Proposed Plan for the Crystal Digging Area site located within the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. The FUDS was a popular tourist attraction for decades that saw an average of 30,000 annual visitors before it was closed back in April 2007. The site was closed when a CAIS (chemical agent identification set) vial was discovered by a young boy digging for selenite crystals in the area (original UXOInfo.com article link).

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Munitions Debris in Landfill Causes Concern

Bellows Air Force Station, O'hau Hawaii An area formally known as "pier dump", now "Landfill 24" being cleanup up under a $2M congressional earmark has run into public perception issues related to munitions. The landfill cleanup project, which involves the removal of an estimated 8,500 tons of cultural debris, is half complete. Prior to the congressional earmark, the military was seeking DERP funds under the IRP to address the site. However, the conditions of the site were found not to pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment and as such, the site was found not eligible for DERP funding under the IRP. The site was not eligible for MMRP funding under DERP as munitions were not known or suspected at the site. Despite these findings, with the help of U.S. Representative Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai'i), the $2M earmark was granted by Congress to cleanup the site anyway.

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Controlled Burn Scheduled for UXO Area

Fort Ord, California the Army is planning to conduct a control burn of approximately 140 acres in order to search the area for UXO. The burn will be conducted in two phases to better control the fire. The Army is watching the weather reports closely in order to schedule the controlled burn when sea breezes are minimal to minimize the potential for smoke to drift into nearby residential and commercial areas.

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Public Comment Period For Surf City EE/CA Report

Philadelphia, PA The USACE issued a public announcement concerning an EE/CA report for the Discarded Military Munitions (DMM) site located in Surf City, New Jersey. The purpose of the announcement is to "solicit comments and recommendations on the subject report [EE/CA] from the State, County and Local governments, other stakeholders, and the public concerning the identification and analysis of the proposed future course-of-action alternatives and a recommendation for the selected alternative. The 30 Day public comment period will commence on April 14th 2008 and end on May 14th 2008."

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Public Meeting Scheduled for Removal Action on the Former Erie Army Depot

Port Clinton, Ohio The USACE Buffalo District is hosting a public meeting to discuss the upcoming MEC removal action planned for the Former Erie Army Depot. The project will involve a surface sweep of the beach area to remove any UXO and MPPEH in the area. The public meeting is scheduled for 10 April 2008 in Oak Harbor, Ohio.

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