Updated: Possible Explosive Device Removed From DC Neighborhood

Updated (Sept. 16, 5:07 p.m.): This story was updated with information from Chris Gardiner, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

WASHINGTON, DC — A potentially unexploded military style ordnance was discovered in a D.C. neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, during part of an ongoing survey by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A military ordnance team was dispatched along with units from D.C. Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department around 1:39 p.m. to the 4700 block Quebec Street N.W. after being notified of the discovery of the device. A 450-foot excavation zone was established in all directions, and streets around the property were closed.

"Military ordnance experts have the item secured and packaged and they will be leaving the scene shortly," said Vito Maggiolo, public information officer with FEMS, shortly before 3 p.m. "Things will be returning to normal."

The item in question could be explosive munitions, but it could also be munitions debris, such as non-explosive scrap metal often used as training items that resembled real munitions, said Chris Gardiner, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"That being said, we treat all items like this one as potentially explosive out of an abundance of caution, hence the EOD [explosives ordnance disposal] response," he said. "The EOD folks have removed and secured the item, and will ultimately be the ones to determine whether it was indeed an explosive item, or just munitions debris."

Wednesday's device was the latest piece of ordnance recovered at the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site, which consists of 661 acres in Northwest D.C. During World War I, the the U.S. government used the site, then known as the American University Experiment Station, to research and test chemical agents, equipment and munitions.

A contractor discovered the first buried ordnance in January 1993 while digging a utility trench. In 1998, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, entered into a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate and clean up the land, which encompasses approximately 1,600 private homes.

Unusual incident 4700 block Quebec St NW. what appears to be unexploded military style ordnance discovered during backyard excavation. #DCsBravest in unified command with @DCPoliceDept and military ordnance team. 450 foot evacuation zone established in all directions. pic.twitter.com/nQNxiEh6eQ
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 16, 2020