In 1987 the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot became a matter of public concern when a piece of crystalline TNT was found at the Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth Campus. This initiated extensive historical research, investigations, testing and removal actions. As a result of these findings, in 1999 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed this site on the National Priority List.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, manages the FUDS project at the Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot. Project support is also provided by the Huntsville District (the Corps' Center for expertise on ordnance related issues), and the Baltimore District for other restoration efforts.
History
FNOD consisted of approximately 975 acres, and was acquired by the Department of the Army between 1917 and 1928 by various deeds, easements, permits, and Declarations of Takings. The site has been associated primarily as an Army ammunition depot.
The Nansemond Ordnance Depot originated as Pig Point Ordnance Depot and played an important role in the storage and shipment of various types of munitions during both World War I and World War II. The Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot site is located in Suffolk, Virginia at the mouth of the Nansemond River at the end of State Route 135 off of Interstate 664.The site is located at the end of State Route 135 off of Interstate 664, 6 miles across Hampton Roads from Newport News and approximately 11 miles by land west of Norfolk, VA. The site is bounded by the Nansemond River to the west, James River to the north, and Streeter Creek to the east. The original ordnance depot covered approximately 975.3 acres. This area has subsequently been divided and ownership has changed, and it is currently occupied by Tidewater Community College, General Electric, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Hampton Roads Sanitation District. Dominion Land owns the property to the southwest, part of which intersects the FNOD boundaries. Interstate 664 (I-664) was constructed in the early 1990's and crosses the eastern part of the TCC holdings.
The Depot was constructed and commissioned the Pig Point Ordnance Depot between November 1917 and December 1918. Constructed in support of the Port of Embarkation in Newport News, the depot functioned as a temporary munitions storage and overseas shipment facility. Between November 1917 and July 1918, a limited number of ammunition storage facilities and a few barracks for a small component of guards were constructed at the Depot. The end of this construction period was marked by the completion of a 4,800-ft pier built to handle overseas shipments.
Between July 1918 and December 1918, construction increased at a rapid pace so that by November 1918, the Constructing Quartermaster had completed the Depot at a cost of about $3.5 million. At the signing of the Armistice, the Depot was able to handle 1,300 tons of ammunition daily.
In March 1919, all enlisted men were to be discharged and replaced by civilians, who were to conduct Depot operations under the direction of a small cadre of officers. However, just prior to the discharge of the enlisted personnel, transports began to arrive from overseas with very large quantities of ammunition to be placed in storage at the Depot. The mission of Pig Point changed in 1919 to add distribution and processing of captured enemy munitions. The Depot received ammunition from overseas, prepared ammunition for storage, transferred ammunition to other locations, and performed other salvage and disposal operations.
Between World War I and World War II, these operations continued on both domestic and captured munitions. In 1929, the name was officially changed to the Nansemond Ordnance Depot. Principal operations included preparation of ammunition and components for permanent storage, painting and marking shells and containers, segregation of certain lots of ammunition, transference of powder charges from fiber to metal containers, salvage of munitions parts, and inspection and disposal of unserviceable ammunition by defusing or burning. Smokeless powder was burned on site as part of demilitarization activities, and ammunition was broken down, with the metal separated out and salvaged. During this period, barges were used to dump unserviceable ammunition at sea.
During the 1920s and 1930s, improvements to the Depot were completed, such as the construction of guard towers and steel water tanks, construction of concrete bomb-proof storage facilities, the building of a renovation and salvage plant, maintenance and the laying of additional railroad track, and the grading of additional roads to and within the Depot. Near the onset of World War II, major renovation projects and new construction commenced, including the demolition of the old pier and the beginnings of construction for a new pier, construction of jetties, hard surfacing of roads, clearance of firebreaks around magazines, and the extension of the railroad to the pier location.
During World War II, while under the jurisdiction of the Ordnance Department, the Depot was instrumental in supporting operations at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation. This support included temporary storage and transshipment of all types of ammunition overseas. Toward the end of the war, the mission of the Depot was changed to function as an intermediate and distribution depot and to perform reconditioning of ammunition. It also received captured enemy munitions for processing and further shipment to U.S. military facilities, such as Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, for technical examination.