Army Corps of Engineers completes 5-year review of NM bombing range

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the completion of a five-year review of the former Kirtland Air Force Base bombing range in Cibola County. The property is now part of the El Malpais National Monument.

The former bombing range was used for live practice during World War II. The land was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 1947. In 1987, the property became part of the national monument, which is managed by the U.S. National Park Service.

The Corps determined that unexploded military munitions may still be present at the site. Because it’s located on a volcano field, conditions were deemed too treacherous to complete additional removal actions. Instead, educational awareness was selected as the final site remedy. That educational awareness will involve a public outreach campaign consisting of the installation of warning signs and information kiosks, and the development and distribution of safety fact sheets.

This is the first five-year review conducted at former bombing range.

The findings and conclusion of the review, including recommendations, will be presented by the Corps of Engineers in a five-year review report, which will be made available to the public after the report is finalized .

FUDS

The Department of Defense is responsible for environmental restoration of properties that were formerly under the control of the U.S. secretary of defense.

Such properties are known as Formerly Used Defense Sites, or FUDS.

In New Mexico, there are 209 pending projects that have been prioritized for future inspection and cleanup action.