thedrifter
02-02-09, 08:03 AM
Quantico Marines clear out tons of debris from range
By Aileen Streng
Published: February 1, 2009
The Quantico Marine Corps base lately has been blowing up more stuff than usual.
In addition to the scheduled munitions training done at ranges on the western side of the base, a new program is under way to clear many of those ranges of unexploded ordnance such as bombs, grenades, mortars and rockets.
The Marines also are clearing out tons of the old rusted targets, such as tanks and other armored vehicles, barrels, school buses, landing craft and 55-gallon drums.
Some of the range debris has been out there for more than 60 years when the base was established. On one of the smaller ranges more than 15,000 old expended rockets were found.
“That’s the old bazooka rounds that you see in World War II movies,” said Jim Cook, Quantico range complex development manager.
“We have no historic documentation that says we have ever done a range cleanup here since the inception,” Cook said.
“The reason we are doing this now is to ensure that the ranges remain safe and sustainable over the long run,” Cook said.
The Operational Range Clearance Program began in July 2007. As of the end of December, more than 194 acres have been cleared at a cost of $3.2 million.
More than 1,288 tons of target debris have been collected and carted off, along with more than 119 tons of munitions debris. Scrap metal that could be salvaged was sold for $142,467,000. That money was rolled back into the program.
Work on five ranges has been completed. Work on Range 7, the largest range and where Marine Corps pilots drop 500-pound bombs among other munitions, is under way and should be completed in March. Additionally, there are several other ranges and training areas on the base that will be addressed this year and in 2010.
Noise from the scheduled range training can sometimes be heard far past the base borders, depending on weather conditions. Atmospheric conditions such as low cloud cover and wind will greatly enhance the sound.
Base officials said that the destruction of the larger unexploded ordnances, such as 500-pound bombs on Range 7, are likely the culprits of the especially loud explosions being heard in recent months.
“If you take a 500-pound bomb and blow it up on a nice, sunny, cloudless day in the summer and you do that same bomb on an overcast day in the winter when it’s cold — it’s a amazing the difference in the sound,” Cook said.
All unexploded ordnances are destroyed using a “blow in place” method.
“We are going out there to make sure that any ordnance lying on the ground is removed,” said John Eastman of the Quantico Aviation Range Safety Group, Range and Training Area Management Division.
There were trees and brush growing around some ordnances and munitions, heavily littering the ground on some ranges.
“There were accumulations in some instances where you couldn’t even put your foot down without stepping on ordnance,” Eastman said.
The range clearing operation is a time-consuming and labor intensive operation given the hazardous nature of unexploded ordnances.
As work gets under way to clear a range, the entire clearance area is gridded out in 100-foot by 100-foot squares and every unexploded ordnance is marked.
After all the live rounds are blown in place and are certified safe, the targets and other debris must be examined to ensure that no unexploded ordnances are hidden within that scrap metal before it can be removed.
And before those targets can be removed with heavy equipment, a trail to the targets must be examined to ensure there are no unexploded ordnances hidden under ground that could go off as the equipment is moved.
“It’s lengthy, expensive process. Every single piece has to be looked at to determine if it is dangerous or not. Every piece could be hazardous. Nothing comes off the range unless it’s been certified as safe,” Eastman said.
The old targets are being replaced with what the Marines describe as “environmentally sensitive targets” made out of plates of sheet steel and other materials.
“There are no cavities in these, so there are no places for an unexploded ordnance to get trapped,” Cook said.
After all the work is done, Cook said he will have a base line.
“We will have a better picture as to when we would need to start a clearance program again,” he said.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.
Ellie
By Aileen Streng
Published: February 1, 2009
The Quantico Marine Corps base lately has been blowing up more stuff than usual.
In addition to the scheduled munitions training done at ranges on the western side of the base, a new program is under way to clear many of those ranges of unexploded ordnance such as bombs, grenades, mortars and rockets.
The Marines also are clearing out tons of the old rusted targets, such as tanks and other armored vehicles, barrels, school buses, landing craft and 55-gallon drums.
Some of the range debris has been out there for more than 60 years when the base was established. On one of the smaller ranges more than 15,000 old expended rockets were found.
“That’s the old bazooka rounds that you see in World War II movies,” said Jim Cook, Quantico range complex development manager.
“We have no historic documentation that says we have ever done a range cleanup here since the inception,” Cook said.
“The reason we are doing this now is to ensure that the ranges remain safe and sustainable over the long run,” Cook said.
The Operational Range Clearance Program began in July 2007. As of the end of December, more than 194 acres have been cleared at a cost of $3.2 million.
More than 1,288 tons of target debris have been collected and carted off, along with more than 119 tons of munitions debris. Scrap metal that could be salvaged was sold for $142,467,000. That money was rolled back into the program.
Work on five ranges has been completed. Work on Range 7, the largest range and where Marine Corps pilots drop 500-pound bombs among other munitions, is under way and should be completed in March. Additionally, there are several other ranges and training areas on the base that will be addressed this year and in 2010.
Noise from the scheduled range training can sometimes be heard far past the base borders, depending on weather conditions. Atmospheric conditions such as low cloud cover and wind will greatly enhance the sound.
Base officials said that the destruction of the larger unexploded ordnances, such as 500-pound bombs on Range 7, are likely the culprits of the especially loud explosions being heard in recent months.
“If you take a 500-pound bomb and blow it up on a nice, sunny, cloudless day in the summer and you do that same bomb on an overcast day in the winter when it’s cold — it’s a amazing the difference in the sound,” Cook said.
All unexploded ordnances are destroyed using a “blow in place” method.
“We are going out there to make sure that any ordnance lying on the ground is removed,” said John Eastman of the Quantico Aviation Range Safety Group, Range and Training Area Management Division.
There were trees and brush growing around some ordnances and munitions, heavily littering the ground on some ranges.
“There were accumulations in some instances where you couldn’t even put your foot down without stepping on ordnance,” Eastman said.
The range clearing operation is a time-consuming and labor intensive operation given the hazardous nature of unexploded ordnances.
As work gets under way to clear a range, the entire clearance area is gridded out in 100-foot by 100-foot squares and every unexploded ordnance is marked.
After all the live rounds are blown in place and are certified safe, the targets and other debris must be examined to ensure that no unexploded ordnances are hidden within that scrap metal before it can be removed.
And before those targets can be removed with heavy equipment, a trail to the targets must be examined to ensure there are no unexploded ordnances hidden under ground that could go off as the equipment is moved.
“It’s lengthy, expensive process. Every single piece has to be looked at to determine if it is dangerous or not. Every piece could be hazardous. Nothing comes off the range unless it’s been certified as safe,” Eastman said.
The old targets are being replaced with what the Marines describe as “environmentally sensitive targets” made out of plates of sheet steel and other materials.
“There are no cavities in these, so there are no places for an unexploded ordnance to get trapped,” Cook said.
After all the work is done, Cook said he will have a base line.
“We will have a better picture as to when we would need to start a clearance program again,” he said.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.
Ellie