MMRP: MEC Avoidance/Construction Support

Fort Lewis, WA

$2M, 2007-present

Bay West provides on-call UXO Construction Support services to Army construction projects at Fort Lewis 2007 as part of the Army’s program to deconstruct, construct, and upgraded its facilities at Fort Lewis.

The installation’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team typically performs on-call construction support, but with the current pace of military operations, Bay West was contracted by the Army (through the US Army Corps of Engineers) to provide unexploded ordnance (UXO) Technicians for construction support. Bay West’s work frees the EOD team to perform their necessary military training and other duties.

The role of Bay West’s UXO Team is to respond to requests from construction workers to evaluate any object they believe may be a munition. The UXO Team evaluates the item and determines if an EOD response is necessary. If the suspect item is determined to be a non-munition item, such as a piece of pipe, construction continues. If the UXO Team determines the item is munitions related, they further evaluate its explosives safety status. If it is inert, they remove it and construction continues. If it contains explosives, the UXO Team evacuates construction workers to the requisite explosives safety distance and calls for a response from the installation.

Bay West’s UXO Team delivers construction support services beyond requirements in several ways. The UXO Team provides a UXO recognition and safety briefing integral to the construction contractors safety briefings. Prior to construction crews starting intrusive work the UXO Team visually surveys the surface of the area for the presence of UXO. They also perform a visual survey of back filled areas. The UXO Team monitors construction work to help the construction workers to identify UXO. The UXO Team also monitors the movement and placement of soil to and from soil stockpiles. The UXO Team maintains good relations with construction crews and construction company managers throughout the support activity. This level of communication establishes trust between all parties and results in a willingness of the construction crews to call the UXO Team when necessary, thereby increasing safety at the construction sites.