Explosive Removal Set To Begin Next Year At Camp Minden

Some of us have concerns living down the street from a shopping center. Others have a concern when their neighborhood has too many political signs. Imagine just how uneasy you'd feel if your next door neighbor was 16 million pounds of highly explosive material that experts have deemed unstable?

That's what people who live within a five mile radius of Camp Minden in North Louisiana have been living with for years. If progress continues in the plan to destroy those explosives on the current timeline their worries should begin to lessen during 2016.

The issue with destroying 16 million pounds of highly explosive propellant has been more about building the facility to burn the material than the material itself. Construction on unit needed to facilitate the destruction of the material is about 90% on site. However one key component is still not there.

The specialized burn chamber that will be needed to dispose of the propellant properly is scheduled to be shipped through Louisiana using the river system. It will then be off loaded in Natchitoches and shipped via truck to the Webster Parish site.

The burn chamber is expected to be onsite by January 8th of 2016. Then the final construction on the burn unit can begin and if all goes well the entire 16 million pounds of flammable material will be destroyed safely and residents living near Camp Minden can breathe a lot easier.