CONWAY, S.C. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepared a Proposed Plan (PP) to present to the public, specifying the Corps of Engineers’ preferred alternative to address explosive hazards at the Former Conway Bombing and Gunnery Range (Conway BGR) – Project 01, located in Horry County, South Carolina.
The PP, and supporting documentation, are available for public review at the information repository located at the Horry County Memorial Library at 801 Main Street, Conway S.C. The Corps of Engineers invites the public to submit comments on the PP, and supporting documentation, during the public comment period beginning Feb. 12, 2024, and ending March 18, 2024.
Comments can be submitted by email, mail, or in person during the public meeting scheduled for Feb. 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Horry County Library at 2250 Carolina Forest Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Conway BGR, an approximately 55,854 acre Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) property, is in Horry County, immediately northeast of Conway. The southern boundary of the site is north of U.S. Highway 501 and U.S. Highway 17 intersection, and the Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Project 01 is located within the southwestern section of the FUDS property.
The FUDS property was acquired by the Department of Defense between Nov. 2, 1941, and July 17, 1944, to support operations for several bombing and gunnery ranges in the Myrtle Beach and Conway areas as part of the Myrtle Beach Army Airfield. The installation was active from 1941 until 1948; however, training was only conducted through 1947.
The Army Corps of Engineers performed a Remedial Investigation (RI) at Project 01 in 2018. The RI report determined there are explosive hazards due to the discovery of Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC). However, the Corps of Engineers did not identify any human health or environmental risks due to Munitions Constituents.
Subsequently, the Army Corps of Engineers prepared a Feasibility Study to evaluate and compare a variety of different alternatives to address the explosive hazards. Based on this evaluation, the preferred alternative, as proposed in the PP, to address the explosive hazards involves a surface and subsurface removal of MEC to a reliable depth of detection using advanced geophysical classification methods and land use controls.
Comments, questions, and notifications of interest in the public meeting can be sent to the Project Manager, Steve Fox, at Stephen.m.fox@usace.army.mil. Mailing address: USACE, CESAS-PM-H (FUDS), 100 W. Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401-3604. For Media queries, contact Cheri Pritchard at cheri.e.dragos-pritchard@usace.army.mil
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