The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cleaning up a World War II-era bombing range in Florida where 31 pounds of ordnance debris was found near a school.

Much of the area, once used for the 12,483- acre Pinecastle Jeep Range in South Orlando, is now residential. The Orlando Sentinel reported that fill from the range was used for area roads.

Florida's two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, and U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, a Republican, wrote the Defense Department this week asking for a speedy cleanup.

In the late 1940s, three local boys were injured when a bomb they picked up on the range exploded. One lost an eye and the others limbs.

Hunters and farmers have reported fires caused by unexploded ordnance over the years. Most recently, a farmer reported a fire started when his tractor rolled over a bomb.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 28 November 2007   

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