Military Legacy Sites

Lands transferred to federal land managers by the military services may contain munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) and may require additional response actions. The long-term objective of federal land managers is to achieve unrestricted use of the lands under their care by ensuring that the military services address the removal or remediation of MEC. Until that objective can be met, interim goals should be established to reduce risk by considering factors such as potential exposure, environmental impacts, intended land use, technological limitations, and cost effectiveness.

Complete removal of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) or Discarded Military Munitions (DMM) at MEC sites is technically challenging and often impossible, including on refuges and other public lands. Therefore, managers should assume that all MEC sites contain some residual UXO or DMM unless it is demonstrated otherwise.

Under 10 U.S.C. §172, the Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the control of military munitions, and under 10 U.S.C. §2701, it is responsible for MEC removal or other remedial actions. As a result, the military retains responsibility and liability for MEC on lands being transferred, as well as for MEC remaining on lands previously transferred to the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At sites where DoD maintains administrative control, it retains full responsibility for all matters related to MEC.

Military Legacy Sites Resources

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Drum removal from contaminated FUDS site on Attu Island.
Excavation and offsite disposal of buried drums and contaminated soil from Attu Island FUDS, Alaska. (USFWS, 2016)

 

 

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