March 29, 2024

Munitions Meeting About Webster Field

munitions

A public meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, at the Frank Knox Employee Development Building 2189, Room 100, to present the remedial action plan for an old munitions site at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, MD.

The window for public comment will close Oct. 5.

An aerial bombing target, the Former Aerial Bombing Range, was built during World War II adjacent and just south of the runways on the southern half of the Webster Field Annex facility in St. Inigoes.

The Former Aerial Bombing Range, referred to as Site UXO-0001 on the working environmental cleanup studies, contained three observation towers and was used for five to eight years in the 1940s and early 1950s. Aerial photographs from 1954 show that the access roads to the observation towers were overgrown, implying that the munitions range was no longer in use by 1954. The size and configuration of the former range is unknown, but the original 21-acre boundary for the range was estimated based on the locations of the three observation towers.

The findings of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study and the results of the removal actions in the northern farm field and southern portions of the Former Aerial Bombing Range, indicate that there is unacceptable risks to human health or the environment remaining in the 12.4-acres forested wetland area in the middle portion of the site.

Therefore, “action” for land use controls of the forested wetland portion is proposed for the grounds at the former munitions range.

A proposed action plan has been issued as part of the Navy Environmental Restoration and the US Environmental Protection Agency. That plan is available for public viewing. Copies are available at the libraries on base and in Lexington Park.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Library, 222690 Cedar Point Road, Building 407, Patuxent River, MD 20629, 301-342-1927. Open Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-4:30 pm; Friday 10 am-2 pm Closed Saturday and Sunday.

St. Mary’s County Public Library, Lexington Park Branch, 21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park, MD 20653, 301-863-8188. Open Monday-Thursday 9 am-8 pm; Friday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm; Sunday 1-5 pm.

The public is encouraged to comment by Oct. 5 on the proposed remediation methods. The final remedy will be selected only after the public comment period has ended. Alternative remedies may be selected only after all comments have been received from the public.

Comments may be written and mailed (postmarked by the closing date of Oct. 5) to any of the following points of contact:

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Public Affairs Officer, Attn: Patrick Gordon, 22268 Cedar Point Road, Building 409, PAO, Patuxent River, MD 20670-1154.

Maryland Department of the Environment, Attn: Jenny Herman, Federal Facilities Division, Hazardous Waste Program, 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 645, Baltimore, MD 21230-1719.

For further information, contact the Naval Air Station Public Affairs Officer at 301-757-3343 between the hours of 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

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