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News Release
August 27, 2002

Military Munitions Set for Destruction at Camp Edwards

Camp Edwards, Mass. — Two 105-millimeter projectiles will be destroyed in open detonations at Camp Edwards, Thursday, August 29, 2002, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The military munitions were discovered by Impact Area Groundwater Study Program workers in the SCAR Rocket Site, which is being cleared for a geophysical study. This portion of the Impact Area is near the center of the base, approximately two miles from any of the Massachusetts Military Reservation’s boundaries. There is no risk to residents of nearby areas.

These projectiles failed to explode as expected when they were initially fired into the SCAR Rocket Site, which previously was used for subcaliber aircraft rocket and other artillery training. The area is being investigated as part of the ongoing Munitions Survey Project, a program that is seeking to uncover unexploded ordnance and munitions fired or disposed of as a part of past training at Camp Edwards.

Explosive experts for the Groundwater Study Program have determined that the two projectiles are unsafe to move and pose a potential risk to workers in the area, so need to be destroyed in place. Whenever possible, munitions uncovered during the Groundwater Study Program’s investigation are recycled for scrap or, if they potentially contain explosives, are taken to safe storage for future contained detonation.

Soil at the site of every open detonation is tested for residual explosive compounds. If contamination is found, the soil is covered and scheduled for removal and disposal in accordance with applicable regulations.

The Groundwater Study Program, led by the National Guard Bureau, has been working on an investigation and cleanup of the upper 15,000 acres at Camp Edwards since 1997. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection oversee the program.

For further information on Groundwater Study Program activities, log on to www.groundwaterprogram.org.

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For more information, contact:
Christine Dolen, Groundwater Study Program, (508) 968-5629
Todd Borci, EPA New England Region 1, (617) 918-1358 or (888) 372-7341 ext. 81358
Ellie Grillo, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, (508) 946-2866

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