After two World War I-era munitions were found this spring in Fort Totten Park, in Northeast, D.C., the National Park Service said Thursday there might be more hiding there.
Investigators have determined it’s “possible” there are additional munitions in the area, but a news release from NPS didn’t offer details as to how that conclusion was reached.
An area of the park remains closed and fenced, and cement barriers and “no trespassing” signs will stay put while the NPS and U.S. Army investigate two metal canisters that were discovered there in April.
One of the munitions found was a 75-mm projectile, approximately 3 inches in diameter and 11 inches long. The other was a “Livens” projectile, about 6 inches in diameter and 19 inches long.
A Livens Projector was a simple, mortar-like weapon that could throw large drums filled with toxic or flammable chemicals. The weapons were used during World War I, specifically between 1916 through 1918. Testing on the munition found at Fort Totten Park, though, found no hazardous materials, the NPS said.
The 75-mm projectile was also found to be harmless, containing only soil.
A spokesperson with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told WTOP earlier this year the canisters were very similar to chemical weapons found in Ward 3’s Spring Valley cleanup at the former American University Experiment Station. That site was used by the U.S. government for research and testing of chemical agents, equipment and munitions, and was once dubbed the “mother of all toxic dumps.”
According to the park service, any munition that a park visitor may encounter should be considered dangerous, and people are urged to stay out of the closed area of the park.
The NPS and Army are seeking funding to conduct a comprehensive investigation at Fort Totten Park.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
