Posted:  Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Federal government to survey 'Ordinance Reef' off Waianae

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) -- The federal government will survey an area off Waianae to assess the environmental risks posed by munitions lying on the seabed.

Department of Defense explosive experts will accompany the researchers to the area known as ''Ordnance Reef'' for the two-week survey starting Sunday.

But U-S Army Pacific spokesman Christopher Rodney says military officials won't recover or destroy any munitions during this mission because the task is to survey the area, not to clear it.

Rodney says the military will decide what to do about the weapons once the study is completed.

He says the weapons are believed to be conventional and not chemical.

The Army also dumped chemical weapons in at least four sites off Hawaii in the 1940s. These sites are not part of the upcoming survey.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is leading the study after a request from the Department of Defense.