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LA District hosts public meeting in Sierra Vista

Published Sept. 6, 2013
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. -- Jesse Laurie, project manager in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District's Tucson Resident Office, speaks with members of the Sierra Vista, Ariz. community during a public meeting held Sept. 4. Laurie and other District team members were on hand with representatives from local and state agencies to discuss  the District's upcoming remedial investigation of Formerly Used Defense Sites within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. -- Jesse Laurie, project manager in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District's Tucson Resident Office, speaks with members of the Sierra Vista, Ariz. community during a public meeting held Sept. 4. Laurie and other District team members were on hand with representatives from local and state agencies to discuss the District's upcoming remedial investigation of Formerly Used Defense Sites within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District hosted a public information meeting Sept. 4 to discuss an upcoming remedial investigation of two sites within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

“We’re here to discuss the environmental study at these Formerly Used Defense Sites,” said Jesse Laurie, the District’s project manager. “We are bound by law to clean up these sites.”

The two sites were used as military training areas during World War II and were known as Charleston Maneuver Area and Range Complex No. 1. District representatives discussed the planned investigation activities and answered questions about the former training areas.

The purpose of the investigation is to identify the type, characteristics, and extent of military munitions that may remain on this property. The area of the investigation covers nearly 1,500 acres. Once the investigation is complete, the data gathered will allow the project team to develop a plan to protect human health and the environment from potential hazards associated with any remaining munitions.

“We will have archaeologists, geophysicists, a senior [unexploded ordnance] supervisor among others on our team,” Laurie explained. “We’re all looking forward to getting in here and getting to work on this great project.”

Since military munitions may still be present in this area, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers encourages visitors to this area to follow the 3Rs of Explosives Safety:

- Recognize the item encountered may be an explosive item

- Retreat from the area without touching or picking up the item

- Report the location of the possible hazard to the Bureau of Land Management or local law enforcement