After considering the public’s comments on the Army’s and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s preferred cleanup plan for the Open Detonation Grounds Munitions Response Site at Seneca Army Depot Activity in Seneca County, New York, the Army and EPA, with concurrence from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Department of Health, signed a Record of Decision on July 8, 2026, selecting the cleanup plan. The plan for cleanup of the Open Detonation Grounds includes excavating the area where open detonation operations occurred and mechanically separating the unexploded ordnance and discarded military munitions, with offsite disposal of contaminated soil; surveying soil below the surface and investigating to remove any remaining unexploded ordnance or discarded military munitions; setting limits on future land use in this area; educating land users about the potential for explosive hazards; limiting digging and construction without support from unexploded ordnance and munitions experts; and placing short-term groundwater restrictions, including prohibiting use of nearby groundwater for drinking. The Record of Decision and other site documents are available electronically at: https://senecaarmydepotar.com/ar/. If you have questions or need additional information, contact the SEDA Base Environmental Coordinator, Tom Heins, at thomas.r.heins@usace.army.mil or the EPA Project Manager, Karyn Treinen, at Treinen.Karyn@epa.gov.
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