Opposition mounts against explosives cleanup plan at Camp Minden

CAMP MINDEN, LA (KSLA) - An LSU-Shreveport chemistry professor has now joined the growing ranks of people and groups opposing the explosives cleanup plan at Camp Minden. Dr. Brian Salvatore, a Chemistry professor at LSU-S, is warning citizens about the potential consequences of burning 15 million pounds of M6 propellant, and the toxins that could be released into the atmosphere.

During public meetings last fall held by the EPA, the agency reassured the public that open-tray burning is the safest and most cost-effective way to get rid of the material, which has been described as a ticking time bomb if left unchecked.

Since the last meeting, some residents have taken to social media and started an online petition in attempts to prevent the burn from happening.

Theonline petition, posted from a group referring to themselves as the "Concerned Citizens of the Camp Minden M6 Open Burn" demands for a "safe disposal of the explosives at Camp Minden."

The group is hosting a second strategy meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 10 at the Broadmoor Branch of the Shreveport Public Library.

Frances Kelley of Louisiana Progress Action is working with that grass-roots organization.

"What we are asking for, and what the citizens that have been upset about this are asking for, is the safe disposal of the explosives at Camp Minden instead of the proposed open burn because it poses too much risk to human health" explains Kelley.

Kelley's organization recently published a letter by Dr. Salvatore who claims there are dangerous health risks of burning the explosive material.

The EPA says a great deal of the toxic material would be destroyed by combustion. But Salvatore says the government plans to burn 80,000 pounds of this material each day, over more than 200 days. He says that even a small amount of toxic material escaping into the atmosphere could have potentially devastating health and environmental effects.

A conference call was canceled at the last minute Thursday between local, state and federal authorities, regarding possible health concerns about the 'open burn' at Camp Minden.

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Opposition mounts against explosives cleanup plan at Camp Minden