From September 4th to 6th, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team from Dover Air Force Base, Del., will be conducting range clearance operations at the Warren Grove Range, Warren Grove, N.J.

During the course of the range clearance, the EOD team will gather up the practice bombs that have been dropped in the last year and dispose of any of the damaged bomb dummy units that may still contain a spotting charge. The EOD team will dispose of the damaged units by placing them in a pit and exploding them with a small charge.

Depending on weather conditions and wind direction, area residents may hear explosions during this procedure - this is nothing to be alarmed about. Local police departments in the surrounding communities will be alerted as to when the team expects the detonations to occur. EOD technicians will monitor weather and other factors in order to minimize noise created by the clearance operation.

It is important to note that "live" bombs are not dropped at the Warren Grove Range. The range is strictly limited to practice bombs only. Occasionally, the practice bombs become damaged and the small spotting charge does not go off, thus necessitating the need to properly dispose of the unit. This ensures safe range operations and helps ensure that military ground personnel, hunters and other occasional range visitors do not encounter a dummy bomb that may still have an intact spotting charge. Warren Grove Range personnel are committed to maintaining the range in the best possible condition with respect to operations and environmental stewardship. As part of this commitment, range clearance operations are conducted once a year.