Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant facts for kids

The Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant was a very large factory in Texas. It covered about 15,546 acres, which is like 11,700 football fields! The United States government owned it, but a private company ran it. This type of setup is called GOCO, which stands for Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated. The plant was built in 1942 to make ammunition for the military.

The government bought the land for the plant from local people. They used a process called Eminent Domain. This means the government can buy private land for public use, even if the owner doesn't want to sell. A company called Lone Star Defense Corporation started making things there in 1941. They made artillery shells, bombs, and other parts for weapons. The plant was very busy during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It helped supply ammunition for soldiers for many years. The last company to run the plant was Day & Zimmermann.

What Happened to It?

The Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant finished its work on September 30, 2009. It had been making ammunition for almost 70 years! Now, there are plans to build a major highway, called the I-69 Corridor, through the area. This will happen once the land is officially transferred from the local community.

Cleaning Up the Environment

Because of the manufacturing that happened there, the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant site needed a lot of cleaning. On July 22, 1987, it was added to the National Priorities List. This list is for places that have dangerous pollution and need special cleanup. The United States Environmental Protection Agency found harmful substances like tetryl, mercury, chromium, and lead.

Cleanup activities at the plant began on June 29, 2001. They continued until September 24, 2002. The site was expected to be removed from the National Priorities List in 2010 after the cleanup was finished.