The desert north of the Santa Rita Experimental Range and east of Sahuarita harbors military…
An area east of Sahuarita was used for military training from 1942-58, and the Corps is looking to clean up hazards on the site including munitions left over from bombing training runs and other activities.
A Restoration Advisory Board would offer public participation in identifying and discussing “the most efficient and productive means to restore the environment,” according to the Corps.
The Sahuarita Town Council in February heard a presentation from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Army Corps of Engineers about cleaning munitions from the long-closed WWII-era bombing range, which includes the land where Walden Grove High School now stands.
The Corps told the council a cleanup plan will be done by 2025, and it could take a decade to fully clear the area.
Mostly dummy bombs filled with water, sand or concrete were dropped in the area; nobody has ever been injured by leftover debris though many people have found pieces of dummy bombs and other objects tied to the training.
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