First Five-Year Review of safety measures at Former Kirtland Demolition Bombing Range has begun

USACE-Albuquerque District Public Affairs/FUDS
Published March 28, 2023

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces the beginning of a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Five-Year Review of the Former Kirtland Air Force Base Demolition Bombing Range (KDBR) Munitions Response Site (MRS) in Cibola County, New Mexico. The property is now part of the El Malpais National Monument.

The former bombing range was used for live bombing practice during World War II from the latter part of 1943 until May 1944. The land was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 1947. In 1987, the property became part of the El Malpais National Monument, which is managed by the U.S. National Parks Service.

Based on removal actions and site surveys, it was determined that unexploded military munitions may still be present at the KDBR MRS. Because the MRS is located on a volcano field, the site conditions were deemed too treacherous to complete additional removal actions. To protect human health and the environment, and to comply with CERCLA, educational awareness was selected as the final site remedy. The remedy included a public outreach campaign consisting of the installation of warning signs and information kiosks, and the development and distribution of safety fact sheets.

This is the first Five-Year Review conducted at KDBR MRS. The Five-Year Review will evaluate the effectiveness of the remedies at the KDBR MRS and determine whether the remedies continue to be protective of human health and the environment. The Five-Year Review is required pursuant to CERCLA SS 121 and National Contingency Plan (NCP) 40 CFR SS 300.430(f)(4)(ii) to ensure that the Remedy-in-Place continues to protect human health and the environment.

If you would like to provide input on the Five-Year Review, the selected remedies, or would like additional information, please contact Lisa Schutzberger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by email at lisa.a.schutzberger@usace.army.mil or by phone at (505) 342-3327.

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Contact
Lisa Schutzberger
505-342-3327
lisa.a.schutzberger@usace.army.mil

Release no. 23-002