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Announcement

The Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report is scheduled for distribution in Spring 2008, and will be posted to this Web site for public review when it is issued.

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Trabuco Bombing Range

Frequently Asked Questions about the Former Trabuco Bombing Range

Question Response
#1. Are there really unexploded bombs still out there? Historical information indicates that the Trabuco Bombing Range was used only for practice bombs or rockets. Most of these contained a small "spotting charge" that shoots out a flame and puff of smoke allowing the pilots to see where the munitions had landed, and a few were totally inert; high explosives were not involved.

A number of private and government clearance actions have been conducted since range closure, and military munitions including 3-pound, 4-pound, and 25-pound practice bombs, as well as 2.25-inch, 3.5-inch, and 5-inch aircraft practice rockets have been found, either on the surface or shallowly buried.

Some quantities of any or all of these items may remain in or immediately adjacent to the project area. Some of these items are illustrated in the DTSC Flyer on the "Safety" page of this Web site and at the top of each Web page. See FAQ #3 for a map of the former range.
#2. What are the known effects from the use of the range? Who did the testing? As noted in FAQ #1, quantities of several types of practice bombs and practice rockets were dropped on the site. A great deal of the munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) have been removed during nearly fifty years of farming and development since the range was closed, but some items may remain. No other contamination has been associated with the bombing range activities.
#3. Where was the range located, and what do the ordnance items look like? The project map on the "Site History" page of this Web site shows the approximate boundary of the former Trabuco Bombing Range and current features in the area. See FAQ #1 for information about the specific practice bombs and practice rockets known to have been used.
#4. How hazardous is this area? The only known injury caused by MEC associated with the former Trabuco Bombing Range occurred in the late 1950s, shortly after the range was closed. (This involved a State Forest Ranger, who was injured when the triggering charge detonated accidentally while he was handling the item.) Even today, any suspected ordnance item should be considered potentially dangerous, and left for trained personnel.

It is possible that the spotting charge in a practice bomb could be detonated by the heat from a fire, if the item is located on or near the surface.

Because natural events such as erosion, fire, earthquakes, etc., or construction activities, may expose ordnance items that have been buried since they were dropped, extra caution should be exercised during and following such events, and under no circumstances should a suspected ordnance item be touched or moved.
#5 What is the risk level to casual visitors? See FAQ #4
#6. How is the area currently secured to avoid injury to the public? The area that formerly constituted the Trabuco Bombing Range is now within the City of Rancho Santa Margarita and O'Neill Regional Park. The soil in most developed areas was screened during the construction period, and/or has been built on or paved over. Many areas of the park also were subject to clearance actions.

At this time, no specific hazard areas have been identified as requiring physical security. Should current or future investigations generate additional information, restrictions and other controls may be implemented as appropriate. However, residents and visitors should always exercise caution in all areas of the former range, and call 911 immediately if a suspicious object that may be military munitions is discovered.
#7. What is going on at the site currently, and why? The former Trabuco Bombing Range site is now within the Formerly Used Defense Site/Military Munitions Response Program (FUDS/MMRP). The USACE coordinates a formal process designed to maintain public safety while moving toward site closure. The current Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) will provide additional updated information about the site and will implement a Public Involvement Program to maintain effective two-way communication between members of the community and the USACE. This project Web site provides further information about the project, and will be updated regularly throughout the duration of the current project.


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