Green Mountain visitors reminded to be cautious

Searchers have found debris and unexploded ordnance on north slopes

lakewood» William Frederick Hayden Park in Lakewood was bombarded with artillery shells from about 1935 through the end of World War II for Colorado National Guard war-time training exercises. The vast majority of mainly 75-millimeter shells exploded; a few didn’t.

Two generations later, searchers on the north slopes of Green Mountain — in the former Camp George West Artillery Range Munitions Response Site — have found munitions debris and unexploded ordnance.

After years of careful remedial investigations, the Colorado Army National Guard will collaborate with the city of Lakewood, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Department of Defense to locate long-buried and partially exposed munitions.

A small team will walk the north slopes of Green Mountain with handheld scientific instruments looking for any metallic objects on or under the surface, said Colorado National Guard Capt. Kevin Trabert.

“People can still use the park, but safety is obviously the No. 1 priority,” said Jeannine Natterman, a public involvement coordinator with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. “The personnel in the field will have information cards on them to hand out to visitors about what’s happening.”

Trabert said an initial investigation, done in 2012, tested a new technology that could more clearly map objects at greater depth and clarity than traditional metal detectors.

“It gave them a better picture of what was below the ground,” Trabert said.

Nine rounds were located and exploded on site that year .

The effort is part of a national program overseen by the Department of Defense Military Munitions Response Program.

Although the materiel found on the mountain’s north slope of the 2,400 acres of open space is not dangerous, its presence raises concern that other, unexploded ordnance could be nearby, Natterman said.

“Relatively speaking, this site isn’t as potentially dangerous as others, but because of the interface with the public and location, it’s a priority for cleanup,” said Colorado National Guard public affairs officer Darin Overstreet.

Natterman said anyone who finds an item that could be munitions-related should consider the item to be extremely dangerous. Never touch, move or disturb these items, she said.

She said to use the three Rs: recognize, retreat and report to 911.

“The local sheriff is aware of what is going on, and they will come in and deal with it,” she said. Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729 or abriggs@denverpost.com