From: gherbert@crl3.crl.com (George Herbert)
Newsgroups: alt.engr.explosives
Subject: Re: UXO in abandoned firing ranges
Date: 11 Dec 1999 00:12:06 -0800

DR <rodmon@DELETETHISattcanada.net> wrote:
>Americans and Panamanians are debating again the responsibility to clean up
>hectares of polluted rain forest full of Unexploded Ordinance. [...]

Rainforest, hell, there are areas in the US which are just as bad,
some of which idiots are trying to build on.  My brother goes to
Cal State University Monterey Bay, formerly Fort Ord, and has found
numerous live ordinance devices around his appartment and between
it and the main section of campus.  And that *isn't* the impact
area on base...  not to mention several tons of lewisite mixed
with assorted detonatable organic peroxides which is under the
corner of the main section of campus.  Old ether is not your
friend, especially when mixed with chemical weapons.

There's no known good way to clean up those areas when they're
just sand and scrub.  Add trees, and it's a lost cause.
Panama is going to have to build fences around those impact
areas; physics isn't at the point that there's any alternative
yet for clearing the really dangerous stuff.


-george william herbert
gherbert@crl.com