Miri, Borneo An unexploded WWII mortar was detonated after it was found mixed in with scrap metal at a Borneo recycling plant. Police and bomb disposal experts responded to remove the UXO which was identified as a live mortar round. It was transported to a safe location for detonation.
Frederick, Maryland The Maryland State Bomb squad responded to what has become an all-to-familiar scene of a suspect UXO at a scrap yard. Officials removed what appeared to be an old hand grenade from Reliable Recycling Inc.
An employee noticed the munition in scrap pile. The grenade was intact and appeared to still have the pin in place. The item was moved to a distant part of the yard away from employees and behind a concrete barrier while employees called 911.
Tucson, Arizona An investigation by the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health found no misconduct by Tucson Iron & Metal, the scrap yard where a worker died last year after he cut into a MK-82 general purpose bomb, resulting in the deadly explosion.
A report issued cleared the company from responsibility in the accidental death of Daniel Wright, 46, who used an acetylene cutting torch to cut into the UXO.
According to the report, another employee who recognized the item as ordnance told Wright that they were not to cut into anything that might be an explosive, but Wright believed it was safe because he thought it was hollow.
Norton, Kansas Dangerous ordnance finds at scrap metal facilities continues to be a problem across the U.S. At times these military munitions have led to injuries and even death. Fortunately the latest incident, a WWII era projectile found in a scrap metal pile at F & F Iron and Metal, was safely recovered by Ft. Riley EOD after workers reported the find to police.
EOD safely relocated the munition, shown below, for off-site disposal. Authorities do not know how the item arrived at the facility.
Washington, D.C. Senator McCain (R-AZ) submitted a letter to the Secretary of Defense demanding answers following the accidental death of a scrap metal worker in his home state from UXO. The worker, Daniel Wright, 46, died in the explosion where he worked at the Tucson Iron and Metal yard.
In the letter, Senator McCain asks for an explanation as to how a 500-pound MK 82 bomb wound up in a scrap yard and requested an explanation of what methods DoD has in place to educate the public about the risks of UXO.
Tucson, Arizona A worker at Tucson Iron and Metal was killed when the metal scrap pile he was cutting into exploded. Police were first notified of the accident when a South Tucson police officer was flagged down as he was driving a few blocks from the scrap yard around the time of the explosion.
Authorities determined that the man was cutting into military ordnance when the explosion occurred. The man reportedly died instantly and no one else was injured. Officials from nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base responded to perform a check of the area. No additional live munition items were found and they reported "no missing ordnance" from their inventory. However, the UXO was likely from a range area which explains why it was not listed as "missing" as once expended / fired, a munition is no longer tracked.
Elizabethton, Tennessee Workers at OmniSource metal recycling facility called the police after finding a suspicious device with wires sticking out of it mixed in with scrap metal being recycled. The Johnson City Police Department responded with technical support provided by a Navy EOD team.
EOD identified the item as Navy smoke screen generator. It was safely removed from the scene for disposal. Authorities tracked down the man who dropped off the scrap pile who claimed the device was mixed in with scrap metal in an old barn that he was clearing out.
Suffolk, England Twenty WWII bombs were discovered at a recycling center just hours after an Army EOD team removed three others. The munition items were confirmed to be practice WWII practice rounds. The rounds were removed by EOD for proper disposal. Britain's Environment Agency has launched an investigation to determine who brought the bombs to the center.
Pocatello, Idaho The Mountain Home Air Force base EOD was called to dispose of an unexploded round found in a metal container at a salvage yard. Workers discovered the live 20mm shell and notified the Pocatello Fire Department who set up a 100-foot perimeter around the container.
The 20mm round is the same type of shell used by Air Force F-15 combat jets, which are equipped with a 20mm Gatling cannon. It is unclear how UXO ended up in the metal container at the salvage yard. No injuries were reported.
Granite City, IL An explosion occurred at the Total Metal Recycling (TMR) plant resulting in the death of two workers and the injury of another. The victims were 46 and 24 years old respectively. The explosion was reported to be from a live munition item that accidentally ended up getting mixed in with the scrap metal being recycled.
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