Camp Groomes ammunition clean-up can now begin
Brazilian team trains GDF ranks
By Kim Lucas
Stabroek News
October 20, 2002
Local soldiers are now equipped with the skills to begin cleaning up Camp Groomes, the army's ammunition storage base which was destroyed in a series of explosions almost two years ago.
Ever since the blasts, which killed three soldiers and injured 11 others early on the morning of December 18, 2000, the army had been requesting assistance from a number of its foreign counterparts to aid in the clean up exercise.
A month ago a five-man Brazilian Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, headed by Major Eduardo Mauricio Leite Medina, arrived in Guyana and started a training course for local personnel. On Friday, two officers and 29 other ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were presented with certificates of participation after successfully completing the four-week EOD course. Only three ranks were unsuccessful. The closing ceremony, attended by Brazilian Ambassador Ney do Prado Dieguez, was held at Camp Sipu in Base Camp Stephenson at Timehri.
The army's Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Michael Atherly, who delivered the feature address, commended the Major and his team for conducting a "highly successful programme of training under very threatening conditions."
"I am told that occasionally, uncontrolled explosions occurred even while training was being conducted," Atherly said. He noted that the army had sought foreign help because the camp had been in a volatile, unstable and dangerous condition. "The site at Camp Groomes is, at this time, still heavily contaminated with exploded ordnance ranging from 2 inch mortars to 122 MM bombs and a large quantity of small arms ammo spread across an area of about 600m (metres) by 500m. It is necessary that this area be decontaminated to allow for the safety of other military and civilian dwellers utilising lands close to the Camp Groomes area".
Among the other ammunition still lying around at the destroyed camp are AP (anti-personnel) mines; 81 MM, 82 and 120 mortars; 14.5 AA (anti-aircraft); 20 and 40 MM rounds; 76 MM cannons; and 82 MM Recoilless.
Atherly said as part of the agreement the Brazilian team advised the GDF on a formulation of a plan for the cleanup and revitalisation of Camp Groomes, and provided supporting technical literature.
Stabroek News understands that the army needs to acquire special protective gear as well as equipment before a formal clean-up can begin.
Major Medina, giving an overview of the course, explained that during the first week, the ranks were exposed to matching technical knowledge about identification, constitution and handling of similar artifacts to those of Camp Groomes. He said training in the following week included practical exercises with the preparation of the site for the destruction of the artifacts, utilising electrical and pyrotechnical processes and the placement of charges and sandbags for the destruction of the artifacts.
Medina said that towards the end of the second week ranks were identified to join search, identification, marking and transporting units and destruction teams.
In the third week, each team then practised its corresponding routine. By the end of the week, the cleaning of two camps simulating the actual conditions of Camp Groomes was completed. Medina added that a meeting was also held with the GDF to present a project to build a new ammunition depot.
Medina said he was confident the ranks who underwent the training now have the skills to succeed.