Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger
E12629 Weigand's Bay South, Merrimac, Wisconsin 53561 (608) 643-3124
fax (608) 643-0005
November 11, 1997
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Laura Olah, Executive Director, CSWAB (608) 643-3124
ARMY SAYS BADGER WILL CLOSE!
BADGER NO LONGER NEEDED FOR CURRENT OR FUTURE PRODUCTION
MERRIMAC - Wisconsin's Badger Army Ammunition Plant, along with four
other inactive plants nationwide, has been recommend for closure by the
U.S. Army Industrial Operations Command (IOC) based in Rock Island,
Illinois. The Army is preparing preliminary reports about the plant
for submission to the Secretary of Defense of the Army, taking the
Badger plant one step closer to actual closure.
In addition to the Badger plant, a recent assessment of peacetime and
replenishment requirements also identified the Indiana, a portion of
Kansas, Sunflower, and Volunteer Army Ammunition Plants to be excessed
because they are no longer needed for current or future production.
The IOC reports it will retain only 6 of its 14 inactive ammunition
plants. The Command will retain Louisiana, Mississippi, Riverbank, and
Scranton Army Ammunition Plants for its replenishment mission. In
addition, the Command will continue to use a portion of Ohio's Ravenna
plant for storage and transfer approximately 75% of the plant to the
National Guard Bureau; a portion of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition
Plant will also be retained for production and a portion will be
transferred to the National Guard and Army Reserve.
The announcement to excess Badger comes on the heels of a recently
released GAO report which also recommended Badger for closure. Of the
14 inactive ammunition plants across the country, Badger continues to be
the most expensive to maintain, costing in excess of $5 million in FY 96
alone. By comparison, the majority of the Army's ammunition plants cost
less than $1 million per year for operations and maintenance costs.
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB) has already announced a
public meeting on Monday, November 24 from 7 to 9 pm at the Sauk City
Library to discuss strategies to strengthen the role of the community in
developing future use plans as well as ways to ensure a complete,
comprehensive cleanup is accomplished as soon as possible.
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-- Laura Olah, Executive Director Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger E12629 Weigand's Bay SouthMerrimac, Wisconsin 53561 olah@speagle.comPhone (608)643-3124 Fax (608)643-0005 Website http://www.speagle.com/cswab