LJWorld.com / Ammunition plant cleanup on schedule

Archive for Friday, May 4, 2001

The Associated Press

May 4, 2001

DeSoto — The Army's cleanup of the abandoned Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant is proceeding on schedule, according to a report.

The report, issued Wednesday, estimates future costs of the cleanup at $40.1 million.

The estimate, part of the Army's Installation Action Plan for the plant, is about $500,000 less than last year's tally, reflecting work done during the last year to rid the plant of lead-contaminated soil, said Ralph Burns, the plant's environmental engineer.

The Army has said it hopes to complete the cleanup by 2011. That's at least one year earlier than the Oz Entertainment Co.'s plan to finish the work within 12 to 15 years after gaining title to the 9,065-acre site.

Oz, which does not have approval for its proposal, wants to buy the land from the federal government in exchange for conducting the cleanup. The company wants to build an $861 million theme park and resort on part of the land and develop the rest with commercial and residential projects.

Oz officials have said the cost could be significantly lower than $34 million, but they must pay the government at least $37 million to acquire the land.

But while the Army's timetable depends on funding from Congress each year, Oz's chief executive officer said his company would not be subject to such constraints.

"We're a sure thing, and we don't cost taxpayers anything," Dick Ferguson said. "If the government does it, those funds are paid for by the taxpayers. That much is true. The other is a year-by-year dice roll as determined by the budget process of our federal government."

Sunflower is contaminated by years of propellant manufacture. Lead and nitrates in the soil are the most widespread contaminants.