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.

[More]

Bangkok, Thailand EOD specialists from the Royal Thai Air Force are instructing scrap metal and junk shop owners to be aware of potential dangers including UXO when accepting items. The training is a response to an recent explosion at a shop where a WWII bomb was found on a construction site and brought to a scrap metal warehouse.

Migrant workers used a blowtorch to open the bomb in an effort to evaluate the value of the metal. The device detonated, killing eight people, including one child, and injuring 19 others. Several homes in the area were destroyed as well.

The EOD instructors urged workers to contact police if they are unsure about the safety of an item. Scrap metal shop owners are also encouraged to install cameras in parking lots to help police identify individuals who may try to bring in illegal items.

Smethwick, England Workers at Sims Metal Management, a scrap metal recycling facility, called the police after finding "rocket-shaped" devices mixed in with a load of scrap metal. Police responded and cordoned off the area before calling in bomb disposal experts from the Army's Royal Logistics Corps. The police took photos of the suspect munitions and emailed them to the Army. The Army indicated that the devices were most likely practice related so they allowed the police to scale back on the evacuations.

The Army responded later that same day and safely transported the two devices off-site for proper disposal. The exact type of munitions involved was not disclosed but was reportedly non-hazardous munitions debris.

Molokai, Hawaii Workers at the Molokai landfill discovered military ordnance at the facility. The police have been notified and the landfill closed until a military EOD unit can respond. The exact type of munition involved has not been reported at this time.

El Paso, Texas Local residents from about 120 homes received a bit of a rude awakening just before 10pm by the El Paso Police Department when they were asked to evacuate their homes due to a potential UXO hazard. The evacuation was a result of a military munition item being found at a Northeast scrap metal yard. Impacted residents evacuated to a nearby elementary school while the El Paso police bomb squad and the Fort Bliss EOD unit responded to the scene.

The munition, reported as live (exact type of munition not reported), was disposed of on-site without incident. Residents were allowed back into their homes after the disposal was completed. Authorities are conducting an investigation to determine how the munition item ended up in the scrap yard. The area is near a former range area and which was used during the 1940's and 50's. No injuries were reported.

Pawleys Island, South Carolina A munition was found in a dumpster at the Pawleys Island Recycling Center prompting fire and rescue officials and a bomb disposal unit to respond. The bomb squad determined that the munition (type not reported) was inert and did not pose an explosives safety hazard. An investigation is underway to determine how the munition item ended up in the dumpster.

Wharton, New Jersey A worker at the Tilcon quarry and recycling plant on Mount Hope Road reported a munition stuck in the magnet of a crusher. Following proper protocol, the Operations Manager evacuated employees and called Authorities. Picatinny Arsenal dispatched an EOD team to remove the munition from the magnet. EOD safely removed the munition (type not reported) and the facility was re-opened.

Finding munitions at the facility is a fairly common occurrence as quarry is within the area impacted by the 1926 explosion of a munitions storage magazine which scattered munitions for several miles. Over the years, munitions removal actions have been done within the quarry area resulting in munitions debris and UXO findings. Obviously, this recent find is evidence that the potential for munitions still exist at the site.

Johnston, Rhode Island Workers at the Central Landfill found a grenade mixed in with the recyclable materials. The grenade was reportedly brought in by a resident mixed in with other household recyclables. The police were called in with technical support from a local bomb squad. The bomb squad determined that the grenade was inert. The management company at the landfill was allowed to keep the inert grenade for use in training workers on some of the potential hazards that they might come across on the job.

Jersey City, New Jersey A worker at the Sims Metal Management recycling facility discovered a projectile within a pile of scrap metal being processed. The worker notified management who in turn notified the police. The police responded along with the local bomb squad. The bomb squad identified the munition as a 120mm live projectile, exact type was not reported. The bomb squad coordinated with the military for the proper disposal of the projectile. Authorities are investigating how the live ordnance ended up at the facility.