Despite repeated concerns from many knowledgeable community members at various public meetings, Clark County is on a fast track to receive Camp Bonneville in a “dirty transfer” from the US Army, meaning the County and its working partners will receive the property while it is still contaminated and covered with unexploded ordnance and munitions/explosives of concern. County officials are hoping to have all agreements signed with the Army, the state and clean-up contractors by July 1, 2006 in order to initiate a devised clean-up plan of the property that may take several years. The County’s goal is to transform one third of this contaminated 3800 acre property into a free range public park, while explosive devices will remain hidden on the remainder of the property, the two sections separated by a mere three foot barbed wire fence that could easily be straddled by anyone of average height.
Posts under ‘Camp Bonneville’
Area Veteran and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Concerned Over Cemetery – March 10, 2005
Report By Edwin Arthur
On March 7, 2005, representatives of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe (Council members Mike Iyall, and Taylor Aalvik) and a representative of the area Veterans association (Veteran Chuck Mason) met at the Livingston Cemetery, which is pocketed adjacent to a closed US military installation in Clark County Washington, called Camp Bonneville. Camp Bonneville was announced for closure in 1995 as part of the Nation’s Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act. The old military base is still under question by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe over cultural resource issues.
Danger Lurks at Camp Bonneville – February 12, 2005
Camp Bonneville (nearly 4000-acres) is an Army installation that was closed in 1995. It is located in Southeast Clark County about 12 miles east of Vancouver, WA. Established in 1909, the Camp has been used to train many generations of military personnel with field artillery. At one point, Royce Pollard, now Mayor of the City of Vancouver, was the commander of this facility. The Camp was decommissioned by the Army, and the property is slated for transfer to the Clark County Parks Department sometime within the next ten years. Plans have been mentioned for the County to build a public amphitheater and to open the area to hiking and other public uses.
Work at Camp Bonneville to remove contamination – September 20, 2004
Landfill Four is coated in plastic to prevent
erosion and movement of the pollution from rain.
The yellow posts in the background mark a test well
that is used to monitor ammonium perchlorate
levels in the groundwater.
Camp Bonneville is a decommissioned military installation in Clark County. The US Army used this forested area for target practice, including the firing of missiles. The camp was also used as a munitions landfill. These buried munitions have caused a toxic underground plume of ammonium perchlorate to develop.
