Meeting planned about search for bombs on Conway property

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public workshop later this month to discuss an upcoming investigation of up to 6000 acres at the former Conway Bombing and Artillery Range near Myrtle Beach.

The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 17 at the Hilton Garden Inn Myrtle Beach, Coastal Grand Mall.

Late last month, the Corps said it wanted to search the 6000 acres of private property on the site of an old bombing range near Myrtle Beach for unexploded ordnance.

The agency has sent letters to 600 property owners in the area of the old Conway Bombing and Gunnery Range used during World War II.

The workshop on March 17 will allow participants to arrive and leave at their convenience, the Corps said.

“Experts from the Corps of Engineers and the contractor conducting the investigation will be available to answer questions and discuss public concerns,” the agency said in a press release.

The Corps will have displays and exhibits related to the upcoming “remedial investigation” at the former World War II bombing and gunnery range. The Corps will not make a formal presentation during the workshop.

“This workshop will help the public understand the nature of the investigation and the locations where we will conduct the investigation,” said Ray Livermore, the project manager for the investigation. “We want to answer questions and any concerns the public may have.”

There was an initial investigation in 2012 and now the Corps will be checking a larger area.

The Army used Conway Bombing and Gunnery Range extensively in World War II. After the war, the War Department (now the Defense Department) returned the land to private ownership.

Over the years, the Army has conducted other investigations and removed unexploded ordnance or other materials of concern. The upcoming remedial investigation “continues the commitment to ensure public safety at Formerly Used Defense Sites,” Corps officials said.

Billy Birdwell with the Corps’ Savannah District said once the agency receives permission from property owners, areas will be checked with sophisticated metal detectors.

If what if found is not to be dangerous, it will simply be documented. Other items may have to be removed.