Ft Worth Star-Telegram Special 
More than 150 Bombs Found in KB Development!
By Robert Cadwallader
Special to the Star-Telegram

ARLINGTON - More than 150 unexploded practice bombs -- about 45 with potentially live gunpowder charges -- have been dug up from a south Arlington neighborhood during four months of cleanup, federal officials said.

The Army Corps of Engineers expects that the $1.9 million bomb removal effort will conclude in mid-September, four years after residents began finding bomb shells and fragments in their yards.

The bombs are being removed from the 162 acres of the former Five Points Outlying Field, which was used by Navy pilots for target practice during and after World War II . The site at Matlock and Harris roads now is occupied by more than 800 residents of the Southridge Hills subdivision and Twin Parks Estates mobile home park.

Although the gunpowder in some bombs possibly could have been ignited, the agency maintained that the danger has been minimal.

"They're not the kind of bombs that could explode and cause damage to property or fragment and send shrapnel flying," said Dwayne Ford, project manager for the agency. "They literally had 10-gauge shotgun shells, but without the pellets."

The gunpowder in the 8-inch MK-23 shells was intended to explode on impact, dispersing colored powder or other substances so pilots could check their accuracy.

Officials have no estimate of how many bombs were dropped on the field. But many began showing up in yards after heavy spring rains in 2001, setting off a rash of complaints and concerns from residents.

At least six lawsuits have been filed by dozens of Southridge Hills residents, most seeking to force the builder, KB Home, to buy back their homes.

"As far as we know, there's been no physical injury or any damage to property caused by any of these bombs, which is a relief," KB Home spokesman Paul Kranhold said.

Ford said that more than 90 percent of residents had signed the necessary waivers for the contractor to scan and dig for bombs in their yards. He said some have refused, citing reasons ranging from legal advice to suspicions of a "government conspiracy."

Margaret Moore, whose family moved into Southridge last year, said the cleanup has eased her concerns.

"I feel better about it," she said. "I think I feel comfortable enough to stay here."

But Terry Jeffries said the safety issue was a factor in his family's recent move from the Southridge home they were leasing.

"I don't know that I would say we were worried," he said. "But given the option of the lease being up, we said, 'Hey, we're going to go somewhere else.' "


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