THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 13, 1994 TAG: 9408130326
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
Preliminary tests on the soil that was delivered from the Fort Eustis firing range to three trailer parks last weekend showed lead levels well below state limits, the Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday.
Bill Brown, spokesman for the Corps of Engineers, also confirmed that all the soil has been removed from residential areas and returned to Fort Eustis.
The dirt had been a source of concern since Sunday when residents of Torrey Pines trailer park unearthed bullet casings and several rounds of live ammunition in the soil.
Eight truckloads of the dirt had been removed from Fort Eustis by civilian contractors who are working on an Army Corps of Engineers project to renovate the firing range. Mounds of the soil were dumped in Torrey Pines, Gibson and Windy Hill trailer parks Aug. 6 for residents to use in their lawns and gardens.
Authorities gathered samples for lead analysis after discovering the dirt came from the area of the Fort Eustis firing range where soldiers load their weapons. A recent study conducted by the Navy found high levels of lead in soil removed from the target zones of firing ranges.
The preliminary test results released Friday showed the soil's lead and metal content was 14 to 78 times below the safety guidelines set by Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality. The exact lead levels will not be available until next week, when the Army Corps of Engineers reviews the complete test results. by CNB