News Release
| Release Number: | 07-049 |
| Dated: | 4/20/2007 |
| Contact: | Mike McAleer, 503-808-4510 |
Informational meeting scheduled April 26, 2007
PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) that had historically been used for military training. One of these sites, Northwest Maneuver Area, is located in Central and South-Central, Ore.
The Corps will do this evaluation by conducting a Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP), Site Investigation (SI). The SI will be conducted in the next few months by a Corps contractor, Shaw Environmental. The work to be performed will include access to and a visual inspection of property that was part of the former Northwest Maneuver Area. The inspection may also include soil and/or water sampling.
Corps project manager Mike Nelson said, “The SI will be used to determine what future work the Corps may do to clean-up possible munitions related components and chemical constituents used during training.” The Corps of Engineers inspects and evaluates sites contaminated with hazardous waste, radioactive waste, and/or ordnance according to federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations.
In order to begin the SI the Corps will be contacting property owners of the former NWMA site and request owners to provide a signed Department of the Army Right of Entry (ROE) for Investigation and Sampling.
Additionally, a public informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bend Senior Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Road, Bend, Ore., to provide the public an overview of the MMRP, SI process and ROE request information.
During September, October and November 1943 the U.S. Army engaged in war maneuvers on 8 million acres of Oregon land. The land spanned Jefferson, Deschutes, Crook, Grant, Lake, Harney, and Klamath counties. Nearly 7 million acres were acquired by special use permits from the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior. The remaining 1 million acres cover six former military sites within the boundary of the NWMA.
The majority of the former NWMA is now owned by federal natural resource agencies. The Bureau of Land Management is the majority owner. In addition to municipalities and unincorporated communities within the NWMA, there are private land owners.
More information about former Northwest Maneuver Area will be available on Portland District’s website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/fuds.