Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant

The facility, which is owned by the U.S. Army and operated by a contractor, operated intermittently in 1942-73 to produce bombs, shells, boosters, and mines. It is now in standby status.

The 19-square mile Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant is a U.S. Army Armament, Munitions, and Chemical Command facility. On standby status since 1973, the operation leases 16 square miles of land for agriculture, grazing, and wildlife management activities. The plant was built in 1942 to produce munitions and provide support functions during World War II. It has been in and out of production over the years. The plant consists of five main components: five major production areas where munitions were loaded, assembled, and packed; a fertilizer manufacturer; two major storage facilities; a sanitary landfill; and a burning ground where materials contaminated with explosives were ignited. When the plant was active, staff disposed of wastewater contaminated with explosives into 56 earthen surface impoundments, which were located near the five production areas. Dried solids from the bottom of the pits periodically were scraped and ignited at the burning ground.