REMINDER/Corps of Engineers Removes Unexploded Ordnance in Gainesville Area.

News/Assignment Editors

REMINDER...for Thursday (Sept. 19)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

   What: "Media Day" about Army Corps of Engineers' ordnance project

   When: 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19

  Where: Gainesville, Texas, area

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is removing unexploded ordnance (UXO) from property in the Gainesville, Texas, area that was once Camp Howze, a World War II Army training camp. The Corps' project is part of the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) Program.

At the Media Day, the Corps and its contractor will explain how they look for and destroy UXO. Field crews will demonstrate on-site the use of geophysical and global positioning system equipment. Ordnance and explosives safety personnel will display inert ordnance and describe the kinds of ordnance used at Camp Howze and the UXO found on-site to date. Individuals who own property in the area and who have participated in the Corps' project will be available to interview. The Corps will provide information about the FUDS Program, ordnance safety, the Former Camp Howze project and other high-priority ordnance projects in Texas.

Reporters interested in covering the Corps' Former Camp Howze project are invited to attend the Media Day, as all resources will be made available during this time. Future interviews cannot be guaranteed due to the nature of the work and the availability of the contractor.

Reporters should plan to spend at least 2 hours at this event, and attendees must arrive by 9:30 a.m. All attendees will receive a safety briefing and agree, by attending the event, to follow the safety officer's instructions.

The Corps will try to accommodate all requests for one-on-one interviews and video/photography opportunities, but this will depend on the number of attendees. No helicopters will be allowed because of safety restrictions.

All attendees must RSVP by 10 a.m., Sept. 18, and will be notified of the exact location then.