To ensure that Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune units are combat ready, certain areas on the Base are used to train military personnel in the use of munitions. For safety purposes, each munitions training range is associated with a safety buffer area, called a surface danger zone (SDZ). More information about SDZs is provided in Background on SDZs
In 2007, Camp Lejeune discovered that portions of some SDZs had been located outside the surveyed Base boundary at times dating back to the 1940s. Active range boundaries were adjusted so that the SDZ for each range now lies entirely within the Base boundary. Although there was no indication that a safety risk existed, munitions or munitions-related debris could have accidentally landed beyond the boundaries of the Base.
Camp Lejeune has investigated the off-Base areas that might have been affected by munitions training in the past. The investigation was proactive and did not result from any incident or discovery of munitions. These web pages describe the findings of the investigation to date, and what actions have already been taken. The purpose of the investigation was to:
1. Determine if military munitions or munitions-related debris are present in off-Base areas
2. Identify any potential safety or environmental risks
3. Determine if any further action is necessary to protect human health and the environment
The map below shows the off-Base area of approximately 1,600 acres that has been investigated. Most of this area consists of the SDZ for former Rocket Range Number 1, which has not been used for more than 50 years. As the map below shows, much of the investigation area is marsh land.
The potentially affected area included three private properties totaling approximately 301 acres, as well as the southwestern tip of Bear Island (182 acres of Hammocks Beach State Park), State-owned salt marshes that lie between Bear Island and the mainland, State waters used for fishing and recreation (including portions of Bear Creek), and shallow water areas of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
