San Diego

Old Explosives From Test Bomb Site Possibly Scattered in Clairemont Neighborhood

"I was livid," Janet Lancaster, a resident in the area who received the letter last week, told NBC 7.

Old explosive charges are potentially scattered all over a San Diego neighborhood, according to letters the Department of Defense (DOD) sent to residents in Clairemont.

In the 1930s - 1940s, the military used Rosedale Field as a test bomb site, with spotting charges used to help pilots improve their accuracy.

The DOD letters warned that old explosive charges buried in the ground pose a safety hazard and could be anywhere in the area. Due to funding, it may be a while before the department is able to come out and inspect.

"I was livid," Janet Lancaster, a resident who received the letter last week, told NBC 7. 

"I think it's irresponsible to drop this kind of news on people and not have a remedy," she said.

Lancaster has lived in her Clairemont house since 1992 and says this is the first time she’s ever heard of anything like this in her neighborhood.

In regards to the old explosives, the Army Corps of Engineers said that although these munitions are dangerous there has only ever been one incident of a resident finding one.

The Army Corps ranks hazardous situations like this on a scale of one to eight, with one being the most urgent. Clairemont is currently about a three or four.

When the town council reached out to Congressman Scott Peters, his office said it was a regular duty to inform Clairemont residents about the potential hazards of living on a former military site, however low those risks may be.

He also stated he would reach out to the Army Corps of Engineers for further clarification.

Meanwhile, Lancaster and the residents still have a lot of questions.

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