[CPEO-MEF] Hill warns of unexploded bombs

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Hill warns of unexploded bombs

Leftover explosives may be dangerous to off-roaders

Thr, May 2, 2002   

By MARK GRAY
Standard-Examiner staff 

HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- With Memorial Day weekend approaching, officials 
here are worried about the possibility of humans coming in contact with 
leftover ordnance and wandering onto military land near a popular 
recreation site.

"We"ve had people in the past cut our fences to get into that area 
because there are some good sand dunes there," Environmental Public 
Affairs Chief Charles Freeman said of the government-owned property 
south of Knolls recreation site.

It"s an issue Hill Air Force Base officials have been concerned about 
for a number of years. Not only is the practice illegal, it"s dangerous 
considering unexploded ordnance is prevalent above and below the 
surface.

But also a concern of Hill officials, as well as the Bureau of Land 
Management, is the possibility that unexploded or leftover ordnance from 
past testing may be present at the recreation site popular for ATVs and 
off-road vehicles.

"We"re concerned, but we"re not overly concerned," Freeman said. "We 
feel we"ve done as much as we can to keep people safe."

"It is serious," said Glenn Carpenter, Salt Lake field office manager 
for the BLM. "But we don"t know how serious."

This story can be viewed in its entirety at:
http://www.standard.net/standard/news/news_story.html?sid=00020501221057605464+cat=news+template=news1.html

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