Authorities investigate Green Mountain munitions find

Photo courtesy of CDPHE

LAKEWOOD – The discovery of pre-World War II “military munitions debris” in a heavily used recreation area on Green Mountain has officials concerned but none of the munitions found so far pose a threat, state officials said Wednesday.

The city, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Army National Guard are investigating the discovery of the debris, which was found earlier this year by a hiker.

Although the materiel found on the mountain’s north slope in a popular Open Space area is not dangerous, its presence raises concern that other, unexploded ordnance could be nearby, said Tracie White, the state health department’s Hazardous Materials Waste Management Division project manager.

The munitions debris itself does not pose a threat, but it can indicate the potential for other, more dangerous military munitions-related items in the area.

Because the area is used extensively for public recreation, White said, it is important for people to know what to do if they encounter anything suspicious.

“Our main concern is for public safety,” White said. “Because there is a possibility of unexploded ordnance that could be present from historic military use, we want to let the public know that if they find anything that might be munitions-related, they should leave it in place and call the proper authorities to have it investigated.”

In the decade before World War II began, the National Guard leased a portion of Green Mountain for artillery target practice for rounds fired from Camp George West in Golden. The specific boundaries of the impact area used in the 1930s training exercises haven’t been determined, according to Wednesday’s announcement.

White said anyone who finds an item that could be munitions-related should consider the item to be extremely dangerous. Never touch, move or disturb these items, she said.

White said recognizing old artillery shell and other munitions is vital to reducing the risk of injury or death and warned that even suspected munitions should be considered extremely dangerous. She also said they can be hard to see and identify, and may resemble a pointed pipe, a soda can, a baseball, a muffler or other metal objects.

They may be visible on the surface, exposed by erosion or fires, and some may remain buried. They may look new or old, be complete or in parts, be found alone or in groups, she said. Any suspicious items should be considered dangerous regardless of size or apparent age.

Do not touch, move or disturb suspected ordnance, instead safely mark the general area and leave immediately and carefully, retracing your footsteps and call 911, she said.

The Army National Guard is developing a plan to investigate the area to determine what additional steps will follow.