Published in the Asbury Park Press
By BRENDEN SHUR
STAFF WRITER
LAKEHURST -- Plutonium-contaminated soil will move through Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station property in spring 2002, as part of a federal cleanup of the BOMARC missile facility.
In all, 12,000 cubic yards of soil and 440 cubic yards of building debris will pass through the base.
All transportation of the contaminated material will be done on U.S. Department of Defense property because local mayors would not allow transport of the material on their towns' roads, said Capt. Lynelle Brazelton, public affairs official for Maguire Air Force Base. The base includes property in Jackson and Manchester, as well as Lakehurst.
The soil, taken from the Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center missile site in Plumsted, became contaminated in 1960 when a nonnuclear explosion and fire caused the dispersal of plutonium over 7 acres.
The cleanup is part of a joint effort between the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. The soil will move through Fort Dix and Lakehurst on the way to a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed facility for disposal. Officials would not disclose the location of the disposal site.
An aquifer, one not used for drinking water, is 50 feet below the contaminated site, according to a release from Maguire Air Force Base. Recent site monitoring has shown the contamination on the site to be 24 feet deep, prompting officials to dispose of the soil to prevent additional contamination.
"It's not dangerous unless it's inhaled or ingested in large quantities," Brazelton said.
Brazelton was unable to give specific details regarding transportation of the soil or any extra precautions that personnel involved with the move will take.
"The Air Force is taking all safety precautions," she said.
The project is expected to take six months to complete.
Published on June 22, 2001
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