Camp George Artillery Range Environmental Discussion In Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, CO -- Artillery shells and debris dating back to before World War II were found on the north side of Green Mountain in Jefferson County's William Frederick Hayden Park. The munitions debris is thought to have come from Camp George, which opened in 1903 as the Colorado Army National Guard's permanent rifle range and training school.

The city of Lakewood, the Army National Guard and the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment will host an open house in Lakewood to talk about the environmental impact of the munitions debris and their potential risks and hazards. The discussion will take place at Red Rock College's Community Room, 13300 W. Sixth Ave. from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 22. Experts will discuss the site history, investigations to date and potential environmental impacts.

History of Camp George West

Camp George West was located near the junction of West Colfax Avenue and Interstate 70, three miles east of Golden. According to the CDHE, a historic document shows that during the 1930s, the National Guard leased a portion of Green Mountain for use as an unspecified "artillery impact area" for rounds fired from Camp George West, thought to be on the north side of Green Mountain.

Right now, the 100-acre site is occupied by several businesses and organizations. These are: The Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Correctional Center and the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

William Frederick Hayden Park on Green Mountain is maintained by the city of Lakewood. The terrain is a popular outdoor recreational area, with approximately 20 miles of trails.

The National Guard and the CDHE say there is a real danger that people using the park may encounter "unexploded ordinance" from the former site. These could be "duds," "bombs," or "dummy rounds" that could may pose a risk. A new nationwide program is designed to identify and investigate sites where ordnance debris may exist under the Non-Department of Defense Owned Non-Operational Defense Site Program.

If you encounter metal debris on the Green Mountain trails, the DOD recommends the "Three Rs"

Recognize: Recognize when you may have encountered a munition item.

Retreat: Do not touch, move or disturb it, but carefully leave the area the way you entered.

Report: Call 911! Immediately notify local law enforcement of what you saw and where you saw it.

To find out more about the investigation and how to recognize unexploded ordinance, visit: Colorado.gov.

Image Green Mountain recreation areas/munition debris via Colorado Dept. of Health and Environment.