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News Release
June 3, 2004

Unfired Depleted-Uranium Munition Item Reported at Camp Edwards

Camp Edwards, Mass. — Trained munitions experts have identified an unfired 20-millimeter projectile as a probable depleted-uranium or DU round.

The projectile, which is approximately 2.5-inches in length and one-half-inch in diameter, was found during cleanup activities at Camp Edwards. The munition item and the soil around it have been placed in safe storage until they can be disposed of in accordance with applicable regulations. There is no risk to public health.

The corroded 20-millimeter round was found during the investigation of a potential burn pit in a former open burn and detonation site known as Demolition Area 1. Munitions specialists working on the Impact Area Groundwater Study Program investigation and cleanup identified the item as a probable DU round. Representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers, the supervising contactor for the cleanup program, confirmed that the projectile did not contain any explosives and that there was no indication that the item had been fired by a weapons system.

DU is a dense, heavy metal used in defensive armor plate and armor penetrating military munitions. Commercial uses of DU include ballast and counterweights in sailboats, airplanes and machinery; radiation shields in radiation therapy machines and shipping containers; paint pigments and x-ray tubes.

DU is created during the enriching of natural uranium. This process reduces the radioactive properties of DU below that of naturally occurring uranium. The main health concerns with DU relate to its chemical properties as a heavy metal rather than to its low level of radioactivity.

The source of the 20-millimeter munition item is unknown since there is no military record of this type of munition having been fired on MMR. Groundwater Study Program investigations, which are looking for groundwater contamination and its sources at Camp Edwards, have included archive searches to determine any historical uses of DU munitions at Camp Edwards. The Groundwater Study Program also has conducted radiation surveys on defense contractor testing ranges where historical records indicated 30-millimeter DU munitions were received and reshipped. The 20-millimeter munition item is the first DU-related item found in any of the many munitions investigations conducted by the program.

According to Groundwater Study Program officials, training of munitions specialists includes identification of DU munitions. Program officials said that munitions specialists are continuing their investigation and cleanup work at Demolition Area 1. All required safety precautions for working with DU and other munitions items will be observed and, if any additional DU munition item is found, it will be handled in accordance with all applicable regulations.

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

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For more information, contact:
Robert Perry, Groundwater Study Program, (508) 968-5628
Todd Borci, EPA New England Region 1, (617) 918-1358 or (888) 372-7341 ext. 81358
Ellie Grillo, MADEP Community Involvement Coordinator, (508) 946-2866

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