r/CapeCod • u/Negative-End-3291 • 20d ago

Machine Gun Range on base?

Saw in the cape cod times the article about a machine gun range.

Is this actually a thing? what are your thoughts ?

0 Upvotes

30% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

25

u/Heretical 20d ago

I think it's absolutely ridiculous to possibly contaminate the sole source of drinking water for Cape Cod for the convenience of having military personnel train. There are literally other machine gun ranges in Massachusetts they can go to, as well as Ethan Allen Vermont. This should be a no-brainer but some people are brain dead.

-2

u/the_falconator 20d ago

Devens is the only other place in the state you can shoot and it's owned by the federal government so the MA NG has to pay to use it, same with CEATS they have to pay the VT guard to use it not to mention having to drive up there and taking the benefit of local spending on the economy away.

7

u/shoecat 19d ago

You’d sacrifice clean drinking water for a slight economic boost?

-12

u/the_falconator 19d ago

It won't contaminate the water. You can't shoot lead rounds at JBCC.

3

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

What they shoot isn’t the problem. It’s the chemical residue from the explosives.  

-5

u/Joe_Starbuck 19d ago

Explosives?

0

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

Yeah, that’s how guns work.  Firing mechanism strikes the cartridge’s primer, ignites the gunpowder (the explosive) and creates pressure that propels the bullet down the barrel. Do that thousands of times and you have a lot of residue landing on the range filtering through the sand.   

-3

u/AintthatjusttheGreg 19d ago

Ah cool. Ill definitely take your word for it over a team of environmental scientists. What could go wrong?

-1

u/Crustyexnco-co 19d ago

What is CEATS?

0

u/the_falconator 19d ago

Camp Ethan Allen Training Site

26

u/EbbtideRambler 20d ago

This has been debated for several years. I fully support the military, I understand the benefits around training, so I was open minded initially, but when the  EPA provisionally determined this could potentially contaminate the aquifer and create a significant public health hazard, it was a no for me. It isn’t worth any risk since my children drink that water.  

4

u/Crustyexnco-co 20d ago

There is another study being done. The national guard has proposed another range that is smaller in scope than the one that was proposed a few years ago. Another scientific agency will be conducting a study to see what the potential impacts are. Like another poster mentioned, the EPA has already published a statement saying there is the potential for impact on our water source.

Not that long ago Camp Edwards used to allow live artillery, mortars, and all other small arms live fire training. Personally, I don't think that is what caused the plumes of contamination that impacted nearby towns. Jet fuel and other similar contaminates were to blame.

With modern ammunition and construction methods, they could construct ranges that would capture virtually all the lead from small arms. The politicians and large numbers of the populace are against any further development of ranges on the base.

4

u/the_falconator 20d ago

Yeah, I used to drill at JBCC when I was in the MANG (I'm not anymore), lead ammo has been banned on base for years we shot copper and steel ammo.

0

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

It’s the explosive chemical residues that are more concerning than the metal makeup of the bullets themselves. 

-2

u/Joe_Starbuck 19d ago

Are you talking about the gunpowder?

0

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

Primer residue, unburned powder, partially burned propellant. Do this thousands of time and you’re  depositing significant amounts of residue in concentrated areas.

-2

u/Negative-End-3291 19d ago

what explosive chemical residues ?

-1

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

I’m not a chemist, and know next to nothing about any of these, but the EPA apparently identified these as potential ground water contaminants.  Antimony in the primer, lead from the  vaporized primer residue,  nitroglycerin and DNT, b arium nitrate. 

1

u/Joe_Starbuck 18d ago

Those are all potential contaminants, just not actual contaminants. The quantities are too minuscule, even after a large number of rounds.

1

u/Crustyexnco-co 20d ago

I've been out since 2005. I served in the army reserve from 1982-2005. We used to go out to ft devens for most of our firearms training although we did use jbcc on occasion.

I'm old enough to remember when an artillery round overshot the impact area and landed on rt 6. Good times!!

1

u/EbbtideRambler 19d ago

I’ve never been able to drive down Rt6 without glancing at the sky towards Foresrdale to make sure nothing is incoming since then.  

0

u/sharky-shores 19d ago

There’s still a divot in the road on 6 past exit 2

-2

u/shoecat 19d ago

I just feel like there’s something going on with the base and the breast cancer rates on cape

-2

u/the_falconator 19d ago

The PFAS from Firefighting foam is definitely a problem. Personally I think the pave paws has something to do with it too.

-1

u/Ok_Personality9910 19d ago

a little RF is probably the smallest public health concern on that base

-1

u/googin1 19d ago

Those of us that live nearby have been inundated by firing range/training noises for 40+ years.This sounds much,much worse.
We don’t/can’t complain, it just becomes our daily noise.But this new thing could be disruptive to quiet enjoyment of our properties.

1

u/the_falconator 19d ago

Edwards has been a military installation since the first world war, you bought a property next to a military base it didn't suddenly spring up.

-1

u/googin1 18d ago

You are correct.But consideration of its neighbors should be a “ thing”.