Former Horry County military bombing range sites to be open to public comment in July
After decades of a former artillery range-turned residential development being examined for bombs and other munitions, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing that nothing more be done with the site.
The Army Corps, Savannah District is proposing that no action be taken on the former Conway Bombing and Gunnery Range – Munitions Response Site in Horry County, just northeast of Conway, a press release sent Friday said.
A public meeting will be conducted next month to gather public comment on the proposal.
The range has had a history of unexploded ordnance, or bomb remnants, searched for and discovered by Army Corps.
The range is now full of housing developments, the most recent located in the Carolina Forest area and others along the Highway 90 corridor.
The area was once farmland around SC Highway 90 and Highway 905. The federal government owned the property from Nov. 2, 1941, to July 17, 1944, according to the release. The ranges were used from 1941 to 1948 during World War II by Myrtle Beach Army Airfield with one year of training U.S. Army Air Corps and Air Force pilots.
The training and tests consisted of direct-fire training with guns and other munitions, as well as bombing and air to ground gunnery. For decades, officials have conducted multiple searches to identify and remove potentially hazardous ordnance from the property.
In 2018, the 55,854 acre site underwent a remedial investigation, in which the Army Corps searched for hazards related to possible ordnance, according to the release. Five munitions response sites on the property were searched, and it was concluded that no explosives of concern or munitions were found and that there were “no human health risks or environmental risks from munitions constituents,” or any materials originating from unexploded ordnance.
Only two of the munition sites remain under consideration by the U.S. Army Corps. Those sites will be the focus of a public meeting in July.
While the Army Corps recommendation is to take no further action, the other options offered include increasing public awareness of potential hazards, searching and removing hazards from just below ground surface and searching and removing hazards deeper underground using geophysical instruments, according to the full proposed plan.
However, alternatives can be considered for each site based on public comments, the press release said.
Neither Horry County nor the Savannah District of Army Corps officials responded to The Sun News’ request for comment at the time of publication.
The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. July 12 at the Horry County Memorial Library-Conway on 801 Main St. in Conway. Members of the public will be able to voice concerns and ideas on the proposed plan.
In addition, the public can view the proposal at the Horry County Memorial Library.
