Suspect Mustard Projectiles Found at Seafood Plant

Dover, Delaware Air Force EOD responded to a call of a munitions find at a seafood processing facility in Delaware. EOD identified the two rounds as 75 mm projectiles suspected of containing mustard.

The rounds are being stored at Dover Air Force Base awaiting further guidance from the Army's Recovered Chemical Materiel Directorate (RCMD), US Army Chemical Materials Activity, and US Army 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive). Very few details about the munitions find have been released to the public but it is believed that the munitions came from clam shell dredging operations similar to finds in the past reported by UXOInfo.com over the years.

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A Decade Later - Britain Learns UXO Dredging Lesson

Leigh-on Sea, England Bomb disposal experts were called to Belfairs Park after receiving a report of a UXO along a path constructed for the recently built Woodland Center.

The recent find, identified by bomb disposal as a 40mm round, was not the first UXO call along the pathway. An earlier call identified a live fuze from an anti-aircraft shell along the pathway. The previous call resulted in a search of the area where investigators found additional ordnance items. The latest discovery is proof that ordnance sweeps are rarely 100% effective.

Investigators attribute the ordnance finds to the aggregate that was used in pathway construction which was made from crushed shells. Apparently, the dredge area where the shells were gathered from off shore was a former munitions sea disposal site.

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Possible Chemical Munition Found At Clam Processing Plant

Milford, Delaware Emergency personnel from the Milford Fire Department initially responded to the call of a munition item found on the conveyor belt at the Sea Watch International clam-processing facility. The fire department contacted Dover AFB for assistance. EOD from Dover Air Force Base responded and tested the munition which had been reported as "leaking". Air Force EOD determined that the leaking munition tested positive for CWM.

The factory was evacuated and the scene secured until a team from the Army's 20th Support Command (CBRNE) from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland could respond. Within several hours, the Army responded and safely relocated the munition (size and type not released yet) to Dover AFB. The suspect chemical munition is currently in temporary storage awaiting additional testing. From there, specific disposal operations will be coordinated and conducted by the Army to ensure proper disposal.

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Munitions Found Under Busy Cruise Line Pier

Seattle, Washington Navy divers helped recover military munitions from under Pier 91 a popular and busy dock for cruise lines located a few miles from downtown. The pier served as a Navy supply depot from the 1940s through 1971. It is unknown how many munitions were discarded from ships over the years but sweeps of the area earlier in the year resulted in numerous finds of discarded munitions.

Seattle Pier

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Sea Disposal Munition Cache Found Near Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Brooklyn, New York Commercial divers searching for artifacts in the waters off the former Fort Lafayette located approximately 1,500 discarded military munitions. The munitions were found in 20 feet of water in the Narrows and Gravesend Bay. It is widely believed that the munitions were deposited onto the sea floor in an accident that occurred on March 4, 1954. The accident occurred when the aircraft carrier USS Bennington was moored at the Fort unloading its arsenal onto a barge. A violent storm reportedly swept through the area causing the barge to break free allowing it to drift miles away after it overturned dumping its load in the water.

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Options Under Consideration for Underwater UXO In Pipeline Path

Helsinki, Finland The proposed route for the Nord Stream gas pipeline calls for the pipeline to cross portions of the Bay of Finland which were known to be heavily mined during WWII. After the war, the mines were "disposed of" by submerging them to the bottom of the sea such that they could not re-surface. What was standard practice back then is now an explosive safety challenge today.

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What to Do if Your Underwater Pipeline Goes Through a Munitions Sea Disposal Area

The Department of the Interior (DoI) Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposed a Rule in the Federal Register that revises the outer continental shelf pipeline and pipeline rights-of-way (ROW) regulations, to "bring them up to date with current industry practices and technology".

The proposed Rule that falls under 30 CFR Parts 250, 253, 254, and 256 addresses pipeline, design, modification, leak detection, repairs, inspection, decommissioning, and general guidance for constructing underwater pipelines. Buried several hundred fathoms into the Rule is guidance on what to do if the pipeline "could disturb the sea floor in or near an area that was used until 1970 by the DoD as an ordnance dumping area". If this occurs, the guidance states, "You must consider the area as potentially hazardous and take appropriate and necessary precautions".

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Army to Research Options for Underwater Munitions Site

Waianae, Hawaii  The Army held a public meeting to discuss options for the underwater munitions disposal site located off of the Waianae Coast. Present at the meeting was Mr. Tad Davis, the Army's Deputy Assistant Secretary (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health).

During the meeting, the Army announced that three basic options should be considered for the munitions disposal site. The first option is to physically remove the underwater munitions, the second option is to dispose of them in place through underwater open detonations, and the third option is to leave the items in place. The Army went on to say that if any munition items are left in place, should be clearly marked on nautical charts to warn of the potential hazards.

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BlogCFC was created by Raymond Camden. This blog is running version 5.5.002.