[CPEO-MEF] More toxic soil found at McGuire Air Force Base

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New Jersey
THE MESSENGER-PRESS
More toxic soil found at McGuire Air Force Base
By: Brooke Olster , Staff Writer  07/10/2003
Additional cleanup expected to cost $2 million.

Cleanup on the contaminated ground of McGuire Air Force Base has been
halted due to the recent discovery of more toxic soil. The additional
cleanup is projected to cost $2 million, however, officials at the base
must wait to receive the federal funds needed to continue.

The cleanup of the site originally cost $17 million and the extra $2
million has been requested to remove the remainder of the material and
have it transported to a storage facility in Utah, said Ron Dancer,
Plumsted mayor.

Mayor Dancer said he expects the funding to come through within four to
six weeks.

"Once the money is received, cleanup can continue right away and I
expect that it will be completed in the fall, still on schedule," Mayor
Dancer said.

The mayor cites Deputy Mayor Joe Pryzwara, Congressman Chris Smith and
Col. Nicholas Sipos, the McGuire Air Force Base official in charge of
the cleanup, as the chief contributors to the cleanup effort.

In 1960, a fire erupted in a missile shelter on the base and cracked the
shell of a nuclear anti-aircraft missile, causing it to leak about 12
ounces of plutonium. The site was immediately flushed with water for
several minutes, causing the plutonium to spread into 7 acres of ground.

Military officials sealed the site with concrete and fenced in the area.
After 42 years, it was decided that a proper cleanup would be required.
For the last year, the Air Force has overseen cleanup of the
contaminated 15,000 cubic yards.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9512143&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=425686&rfi=6

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