Could Your Child's School Be Sitting on Live Bombs?

Do you recall listening to reports on how children in Afghanistan or Viet Nam were either disfigured or losing a limb because of left over mines or bombs that were discovered by accident? I recall how the national news brought that to our attention showing a little boy or girl without a leg because of an unused live bomb. How would you feel if you knew that we have a similar potential "bomb" risk right here in the good ole USA? Since July of 2007, in Orlando's southeast side neighborhood of Pine Castle, hundreds of live bombs and tons of munitions debris have been removed from Odyssey Middle School and the nearby neighborhoods.

Monday, February 25, the Orlando Sentinel disclosed that the U.S Army Corps of Engineers had a meeting with citizens and have finalized a panel concerning the investigation and cleanup of an old World War II bombing range. It wasn't until a nearby farmer rolled his tractor over a bomb causing an explosion behind the school over the last Thanksgiving holiday that it got some attention. It's a different perspective when you realize it can happen in your own back yard too. Isn't it?

After I heard this, I decided to research to see if there could be more incidents around the nation. Here is what I have uncovered.

On November 26, 2006 the Arizona Republic newspaper reported 14 bombing ranges in Pinal County. In the 1940's this area was a spot where the Army use to drop practice bombs on mock towns to prepare them for the real thing in Europe and the Pacific area. Homes were built nearby these ranges along with hiker and ATV riders enjoying this area. It was reported the concern is that some of these still were loaded with flash and burn black powder charges that could still explode. It was reported that there were 107 practice or live bombing and gunnery sites around the state and the Corps of Engineers counted 286 formerly used defensive sites around the state which included potential chemical weapons. The Arizona newspaper goes on to say that it was in 1986 that Congress directed the Army Corps of Engineers to examine the closed military sites nationwide to determine if cleanup issues remained.

1986? What in the world is taking so long? Are we that irresponsible to our own children? The Army's response was that the risk was low. And they haven't found any bombs that exploded. That was their response! If you'd like to read this article in depth, click "here".

Then I came across just this week an article from the DenverChannel.com reporting that in Pueblo, Colorado on the same day as the Orlando Sentinel reported Odyssey's Middle School's proposed cleanup with the Army Corps Engineer, a similar meeting was taking place. It was stated in that there are 1,000 of these bomb ranges across the nation! If you would like to read more about this incident, click "here".

Now, these are just 3 incidents I have sited about these old bombing ranges. If you search on the Internet, there are more articles referring to these bombing ranges. Also, if any of these bombs are leaking there is a real danger of contamination to the soil and ground water sources. Whether the risk is low or high it is still a risk that Americans would not want to have.