Welcome to UXOInfo.com's free monthly E-Newsletter on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). UXOInfo.com is the largest site on the Internet for UXO related news and information. If you have not checked out the UXOInfo.com website, we encourage you to do so at www.uxoinfo.com. In addition to bringing you the latest UXO news and information, the UXOInfo.com website also provides the following:

• UXO Resume Response Line
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• UXO News Wire Service
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The UXO E-Newsletter is issued monthly to provide the industry with important news and information related to UXO. For information on how to advertise in future UXO E-Newsletters please email the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

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Celebrating the 100th Edition of the UXO E-Newsletter

It's hard to believe but this is the 100th edition of the UXO E-Newsletter. UXOInfo.com's first edition of the UXO E-Newsletter was issued in May 2001. Since then, the UXOInfo.com website and UXO E-Newsletter subscriber list has grown tremendously. Looking back on the user statistics from that first edition of the UXO E-Newsletter, there were 624 user sessions and 4,883 page views. Last month (July 2009), UXOInfo.com experienced 10,400 user sessions (6,122 being unique) and 31,867 page views. In addition to the significant increase in user traffic, the UXO Photo Gallery and free on-line UXO Document Library has also grown significantly from 168 to 2,450 images and 43 to over 515 documents respectively.

The tremendous growth over the past eight years would not have been possible without the help from our Corporate Sponsors and advertisers, and of course the UXO E-Newsletter readers and website users like yourself. We do appreciate all of the positive comments and feedback we received over the years. Our plan is to continue to grow and expand the UXOInfo.com website even further as a service to the UXO industry. We do need your help however to make the website an ever greater resource so we ask that all of our users to please consider donating images, documents, and articles for posting. When information is shared and made readily available, the entire industry benefits as knowledge and understanding of the UXO problem increases and the technology envelope is pushed even further.

Sponsorships are also a great way to support UXOInfo.com and to get your UXO products and service offerings in front of potential clients each and every day. With an average of over 6,000 user sessions per month, your company will get direct exposure to this growing and explosive industry. For more information on Corporate Sponsorship opportunities with UXOInfo.com please email me, Jenna at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Thank you for your time and please enjoy this 100th edition of the UXO E-Newsletter. We look forward to bringing you many more editions of the UXO E-Newsletter for years to come.

UXO Discovered During Commercial Fishing Operation

East Kent, United Kingdom The crew on a commercial fishing vessel fishing in the Thames Estuary was shocked when they discovered a large bomb caught in their nets. The crew radioed to the Coastguard who responded with a British Royal Navy EOD team for technical support. EOD identified the UXO as a WWII era German aerial dropped parachute retardant bomb (specific size not reported).

EOD safely transported the UXO to an open water area where disposal operations were conducted. The Coastguard closed the area surrounding the disposal shot from ship traffic during the controlled detonation operation which lasted almost a day and half. The disposal operation took longer than expected due to several failed attempts. The reasons for the disposal shot misfires were not reported but Coastguard ships kept watch over the area throughout the night to ensure that no ships entered the exclusion zone. The bomb was finally safely disposed of without incident on the third disposal attempt.

WWII Plane Crash Site Excavation Results in UXO Find

Ebberston, United Kingdom A group working under an active permit to excavate the crash site of a WWII era British bomber uncovered one of the plane's 500 pound bomb. The group called the Royal Air Force who dispatched an EOD team to investigate the find. Due to the condition of the unexploded bomb, EOD decided to conduct a blow in place operation. To limit potential damage to nearby buildings including a large greenhouse, EOD spent approximately two full days preparing the site for the disposal operation by surrounding the bomb with one ton sandbags to limit the fragmentation. Nearby roads were closed and residents were evacuated during the disposal operation.

The bomb was onboard a British Whitley bomber which crashed on 27 October 1940 while returning from a bombing mission over Germany. The excavation of the crash site is part of a larger effort to rebuild a British Whitley Bomber from salvageable parts as a complete plane no longer exists.

Munitions Used in Training Are Suspected Cause of Fire

Monterey County, California Over 3,500 acres of military range training area on Fort Hunter Ligget burned from a wildfire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but authorities suspect that munitions used during a tactical training exercise are to blame. Over 100 firefighters battled the blaze before it was finally contained. There were no reports of injuries or damage to equipment or infrastructure. Several roads and nearby campgrounds remain closed and a temporary hunting ban has also been imposed on the installation as result of the fire.

Unexploded Grenade Donated to Church Yard Sale

Bishop Auckland, United Kingdom Volunteers sorting through items donated to a church yard sale came across a hand grenade in a box with pots, pans, and other kitchen household goods. The 84-year old woman who found the grenade knew the potential hazards associated with the UXO from her time spent in a munitions factory during WWII. She immediately cleared the other people out of the room then called the police.

The police responded with technical support from a bomb disposal team. The bomb disposal team identified the hand grenade as a live WWII era munition. The pin was still intact but was reported to be severely rusted. The grenade was safely transported to a nearby field where it was safely detonated. It is not known how the grenade ended up in the box of donated goods.

Navy EOD Responds to Diver Reports of Underwater Ordnance

Key West, Florida A U.S. Navy EOD Dive Team from Naval Air Station Jacksonville conducted a reconnaissance and recovery mission near Boca Grande after recreational divers reported seeing munitions on the sea floor. EOD raised two ordnance in the area that were identified as inert. The Coastguard assisted in the effort by maintaining an exclusion zone around the area. Other munitions reportedly exist in the area but the EOD unit was only scoped to investigate the munitions that were reported by the divers. After the EOD operation was complete, the exclusion zone and mariner restrictions were lifted.

Established 35 years ago, EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. is a small business, which has done nearly $1 Billion in HTRW/MEC investigation, restoration, design, and remediation in the last 15 years. EA has supported USACE, AFCEE, ANG and the Navy at thousands of sites nationwide under multiple DOD programs--including MMRP, SRP, IRP, FUDS and BRAC.

With 19 offices nationwide, EA is considered a leader in both HTRW and MEC. EA received the 2008 Environmental Business Journal Achievement Award for their work in the MEC Market. EA's staff of more than 400 professionals integrates MEC/UXO specialists, geologists, engineers, regulatory specialists, risk assessors, data management and communication specialists to provide practical solutions that help their clients achieve their business goals.

EA's standard of excellence is to consistently provide their clients with the highest level of technical competence, strong project management, worksite safety, quality control, and financial accountability.

For more information on EA, please visit their website at www.eaest.com.

CH2M HILL is an industry leader providing munitions response services for planning, compliance, investigation and removal or remediation services. CH2M HILL provides the full scope of services required to support mission goals at sites suspected or known to have Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) contamination, from environmental management and permitting to regulatory site closure and property transfer.

CH2M Hill is the only company that has a transportable Controlled Detonation Chamber (CDC) technology approved by the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) for destruction of munitions, explosives, and energetics. CH2M HILL provides the following munitions response services:

• Characterization Services
• Removal/Remediation Services
• Digital Geophysical Mapping (DGM) Surveys
• Explosives Risk Assessments
• Regulatory Compliance
• Air Monitoring
• Chemistry Services
• Controlled Detonation Chamber (CDC) Technology

With over 14 years of Environmental Remediation expertise, Enscicon Corporation has established an industry-leading approach to locating and attracting top-level talent for our clients. With a team dedicated to the UXO/MEC/EOD industries, we are able to assist in supporting clients with exceptional personnel including:

• Program Managers
• Project Managers
• Operations Managers
• Project Scientists (Geophysicists, Geologists, Physicists)
• UXO Techs
• Health & Safety Engineers
• Environmental Engineers
• Technical Writers/Illustrators

For more information, please see our website at www.enscicon.com, or contact Jack Hamlin at hamlinj@enscicon.com or 303-785-8028.

Schonstedt Instrument Company is the world's leading manufacturer of hand-held Fluxgate magnetometers for UXO and weapons detection. Schonstedt magnetic locators find ferrous metal targets used in landmines, buried ordnance, other munitions and explosives of concern (MEC), and hidden weapons. They have been tested and proven by the US military, private contractors and NGOs in military and humanitarian de-mining operations around the globe. For a 1-page overview of the company's magnetic locator product line, go to www.findordnance.com

Schonstedt Instrument Company
100 Edmond Road
Kearneysville, WV 25430
USA
Contact: Tylee Ulmer

Information on Corporate Sponsorships can be found in the UXO Opportunities Brief. If you have any questions on Corporate Sponsorships or want to sign up, please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com or 267.295.8010.

Mustard Gas Leak Identified In Army Storage Magazine

Richmond, Kentucky Trace levels of mustard vapors were detected in one of the CWM munitions storage igloos during a routine weekly monitoring event at the Blue Grass Army Depot. The Army plans to conduct further investigations to identify which munition(s) in the storage igloo is leaking. Once the munition has been identified, it will be over-packed and moved to a separate storage area where it will be held until it can be properly disposed of. The Army reported that the leak does not pose a danger or risk to the general public outside of the installation.

Estate Sale Turns Up UXO

River Falls, Wisconsin Customers going through items at an estate sale came across some old ammunition cans. As the customers were handling and opening the cans, they noticed that one of them appeared to contain ordnance. The customers notified the estate sale management team who in turn called the River Falls Police Department. The police responded with technical support from the Marathon County Bomb Squad. Nearby residents were evacuated and streets were closed as bomb technicians investigated the ordnance.

The bomb squad identified the live ammunition as M49A2 HE filled mortars. The now deceased owner of the ammunition was reportedly a collector of military memorabilia. It's unknown how long the ordnance has been stored in the house. A search of the remaining items in the home did not reveal any additional munition items. The bomb disposal unit safely transported the mortars from the home for proper disposal.

This is a senior management UXO Technician position within the Minneapolis, Minnesota operations, providing operational management and supervision of the UXO service line within United States. The position plays a critical role in the development and delivery of our business strategy for all UXO Operations within the US. The role requires an individual with advanced UXO credentials and the capability to think strategically and tactically building partnerships externally with our clients and within AMEC, and to work with others with regard to the UXO and UXO geophysics service line.

• Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal Certificate
• 40-hour HAZWOPER Training
• Prior experience as a Senior UXO Supervisor, UXO Quality Control Specialist, UXO Safety Officer, and UXO Technician III is required. Fifteen years minimum total experience and/or college diploma

For more details please view the complete Help Wanted Ad on UXOInfo.com.

RONCO is seeking experienced qualified Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians with recent diving experience. Former U.S. Navy diver experience required.

For more details please view the complete Help Wanted Ad on UXOInfo.com.

Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc. (ITSI) is a national Engineering, Construction & Consulting firm based in Walnut Creek, California, (www.itsi.com). focusing on providing design-build infrastructure and environmental solutions for our clients. ITSI's clients include all branches of the Department of Defense in addition to municipal and commercial clients.

ITSI is seeking a Project Manager for either their corporate office in Walnut Creek, CA or our Denver, CO office for our Federal MMRP work.

The focus of UXO Resume Response Line is to match qualified and available UXO professionals with the personnel needs of the UXO industry. Whether your UXO project requires part-time temporary UXO Technicians or full-time permanent UXO professionals the UXO Resume Response Line can help. Under the UXO Resume Response Line, UXOInfo.com will pre-screen candidates for you using a customized screening process. The UXO Resume Response Line is designed for companies looking to fill full-time permanent or specialized positions.

For companies seeking to hire for part-time positions including temporary UXO Technicians on a project-by-project basis to augment existing staff during busy field seasons, UXOInfo.com is now offering an expanded service under the UXO Resume Response Line - the UXO Technician Network. By subscribing to the UXO Technician Network, companies can access the largest on-line network of qualified and available UXO Technicians to staff any type of UXO project. Companies looking for qualified and available UXO Technicians email UXOInfo.com project specifications (e.g., location, scope, duration, levels and numbers of positions available). UXOInfo.com then creates a customized announcement that will be emailed to the hundreds of registered UXO Technicians in the network. Interested and available candidates respond directly to the point of contact provided in the announcement.

For more information on the UXO Resume Response Line and the UXO Technician Network including 6-month and 12-month subscription rates please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Enter your resume into the UXOInfo.com UXO Resume Database and start receiving offers and opportunities in the UXO industry. Use the UXO Profile Entry Form and complete your free profile today. By completing a profile, you automatically become part of the UXO Resume Response Line and UXO Technician Network. Sign up for free and start receiving UXO opportunities.

Cause of Explosion at Commercial Explosives Plant Identified

McArthur, Ohio Explosives investigators from the ATF and State Fire Marshall's office have narrowed down the cause of the blast that injured ten workers at the Austin Powder Red Diamond explosives manufacturing plant. The investigation revealed that a partially filled spool of detonating cord exploded when the cord broke during the manufacturing process.

The blast blew part off part of the roof and a wall in the facility which employees nearly 200 workers. The plant located 60 miles SE of Columbus is made up of a dozen or so buildings that were built as far back as the 1930s. The plant manufactures commercial explosives for the UXO, mining, and construction industries.

WWII UXO Discovery Causes Harbor Closure

Hamburg, Germany Workers dredging a portion of the Elbe River uncovered a UXO identified as a WWII era British 500 pound aerial bomb. The discovery caused the closure of Hamburg Harbor and nearby maritime shipping channels for several hours while bomb disposal experts transported the bomb to shore where it was properly disposed of.

Phu Yen, Vietnam Four people were killed when a UXO item being dismantled for scrap metal in their home exploded. The two people working on the UXO (a man and his wife) and their 8-year old daughter along with a neighbor were killed as a result. The couple's 3-year old son was seriously injured in the blast but is expected to survive. The type of UXO involved in the accident was not reported.

The complete round consists of a warhead with an integral fuze and a rocket motor. The warhead consists of; (1) a nose cone, assembly, (2) a warhead case, (3) an integral fuze, (4) nine submunitions, and (5) an expulsion charge assembly.

The extruded aluminum rocket body is a hollow cylinder loaded with nine full caliber M73 multipurpose submunitions (MPSM). Each submunition consists of a steel body with a fragmenting wall filled with Composition B explosive incorporating a shaped charge liner, LX14 booster, explosive lead charge, M230 omni directional fuze with M55 detonator, wave shaper, and fabric drag device (RAD).

The primary warhead fuze, M439 RC, is a variable range resistance-capacitance electronic variable time delay fuze. An acceleration greater than 27G is necessary to arm the fuze. The spin stabilized wrap-around fin rocket is an air-to-ground rocket primarily deployed from rotary-wing and other low-speed aircraft. It can also be used on Air force and Navy jet aircraft, as well as in the Mobile Ground Launcher System.

After the rocket is fired and experiences sustained acceleration, the setback weight of the safe and arm (S&A) device moves rearward sufficiently to arm the fuze. From 1.2 to 25 or more seconds after firing, depending upon the range setting, the detonator is initiated electrically and ignites the expelling charge, which expels the submunitions.

Upon release of the submunitions into the air stream, the RAD high drag device inflates by Ram air forced through holes in air scoops. The arming stem in the M230 submunition fuze breaks the safety shear wire and retracts, freeing the slider which is then moved across the runaway escapement delay to bring the detonator into line with the firing pin. Upon impact with the target, the submunition functions sending its shaped charge liner into armor or other material in line with its axis while the submunition body shatters into small, high velocity fragments to defeat soft targets.