To date, some 32 military munitions
(examples pictured at right) have been
identified by the public and safely recovered from the beach at Surf City,
N.J. without incident.
Items were all turned over to the Surf
City Police, who called the State Police Bomb unit, and ultimately to the
Army’s Fort Monmouth 754th Ordnance Company, responsible for Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD). The majority of these items have been determined
to be dangerous ordnance.
The devices were manufactured in
the U.S. prior to World War II and used
during the war. An ordnance disposal expert in the unit assessed that the
items containing explosives had the potential to cause loss of limb, of
eyesight and, under the right circumstances, to cause loss of life.
Because of the potential danger of
handling such ordnance, the Corps has
taken a number of steps to safeguard
the public.
What has been done so far?
Our number one priority is public safety.
Immediately after the first suspicious
objects were discovered, the Corps took
action to close the project area and began plans to conduct a thorough
investigation of the site using advanced screening devices.
Safety fences have been placed at
all street-end entrances and along the
boundaries of the project site, and
warning signs (pictured at right) will
be
going up throughout the project site.
Security guards are on site patrolling
24 hours a day to assist in public safety.
On March 30, specialists from the Corps’
Military Munitions Center of Expertise began a geophysical investigation
of the beach using magnetometers
( advanced ground-penetrating
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metal detection devices). In the
course of their survey they have
since recovered additional ordnance items
within the project area, and expect to find more as their work progresses.
Upon
completion of the investigation, they
will remove all detectable ordnance
for proper disposal. To date more than
100 ordnance items have been removed.
What lies ahead?
Once this geophysical investigation
is complete and the results are finalized,
which should be within the next few weeks, the Corps will meet with the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Boroughs of Surf
City and Ship Bottom to determine the optimal course of action for clearing
and reopening the beaches both safely and expeditiously.
How does this affect you?
Beaches will remain closed to all
activity (both recreation and construction)
until the investigation and clearing operation is completed.
We greatly appreciate your
cooperation in helping keep people off
the beach during this process.
We advise anyone
who may have any of the items pictured here in their possession or anyone
who may find these or similar looking devices on the beaches to not disturb
or transport them and to call either their local police department or 911
immediately and report that you may have potential Explosive Munitions.
For additional information
call the information hotline at 215-656-6931
and choose menu option 2.
Or contact the District’s Public Affairs
Office at
215-656-6595/6515.
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