ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces the completion 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 evaluated the effectiveness of the remedies at the KDBR MRS and determined 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.
The technical assessment included a site inspection and interviews with the National Park Service completed in 2023.
The findings and conclusion of the five-year review, including recommendations, will be presented by the Corps of Engineers in a five-year review report, which will be made available to the public after finalizing the report in the Grants Public Library. The administrative record also can be found on the Corps’ project website at: https://www.spa.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Formerly-Used-Defense-Sites-FUDS/.
If you would like to provide input on the five-year review findings, 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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