News Release
| Release Number: | 07-044 |
| Dated: | 4/12/2007 |
| Contact: | Mike McAleer, 503-808-4510 |
Informational meeting scheduled April 19, 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, Cold Springs Precision Bombing Range, is located in Umatilla County, near Hermiston, 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 Cold Springs Precision Bombing Range. 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 Cold Springs Precision Bombing Range 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 19, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Center, 415 S. Highway 395, Hermiston, Ore., to provide the public an overview of the MMRP, SI process and ROE request information.
Between 1941 and 1942 the U.S. Army Air Corps acquired more than 2,622 acres through lease of private lands and transfer of public domain lands for use as a precision bombing range. The Army Air Corps operated the range until 1947 when the land was placed in excess. The former public domain lands totaling 310 acres were returned to the Department of Interior and the remaining 2,312 acres were sold to private parties.
More information about former Cold Springs Precision Bombing Range will be available on Portland District’s website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/fuds.