More development could be coming to the Muddy Branch area of Gaithersburg if Uncle Sam has his way.
Yahoo! Finance reports that the federal government
will put the Gaithersburg Nike Missile Site W-92 up for sale in the coming months. The site became inactive in 1974, when it was rendered obsolete by a new generation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. It is considered to be worth $5 million in the current real estate market, Yahoo! claims.
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The missile launch site
as seen on Google Maps |
However, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment, the site is still contaminated and would require remediation to be used for commercial or residential redevelopment. Among the substances that were previously identified in the soil and groundwater of the site are trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), benzene, carbon tetrachloride and associated degreasing agents, petroleum compounds, red fuming nitric acid, dimethyl hydrazine, perchlorates, lead based paints, asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and heavy metals. Portions of the site have been remediated, MDE says.
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A good picture of just how hemmed-in
the former missile site is by later
development - homes back right up to
the Nike Missile facility |
Nike Missile Site W-92 is located at 770 Muddy Branch Road, near residential homes and shopping centers built since it was decommissioned.
Having grown up here, I remember vividly in the sixties driving by that facility and seeing helmeted soldiers guarding the gates. Occasionally you would see the Nike missiles rise up as the equipment launch mechanisms were tested. That being said, anything that is planned for that site today needs a serious EIS prepared.
ReplyDeleteguess Nist is done with it
ReplyDelete