PORT ANGELES — The Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to look for remnants of ordnance in a section of land in Port Angeles watershed that was once used as a combat range.
A public information meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
The inactive combat range is a 1,620-acre parcel located seven miles southeast of Port Angeles near the top of Deer Park Road.
The land was used as a weapons training ground in the 1940s, and mortar rounds were exploded there.
“The concern is that there might be ordnance that was not fully exploded on impact,” said Mike Nelson, Corps project manager.
“The residue from explosive compounds, or residue from certain metals used, can also be a chemical concern.”
Since the 1940s, some of the land has been split up by government entities and some has been sold to private owners and timber companies.
According to Corps records, a majority of the land belongs to the city of Port Angeles. It is a part of the city watershed.
Clallam County, the state Department of Natural Resources, Manke Timber and Green Crow Timber LLC are also listed as primary owners of land in the area.
