As part of Operation Rolling Thunder 2 the Canadian Forces Base in Dundurn is detonating one hundred tones of obsolete munitions.
24 explosions will take place nearly every day for the rest of the summer. Captain Jordan Woodman, Public Relations Officer for the Canadian Forces says, “to respect the concerns of our neighbors we are only running the operation from 8am-4pm and only on week days so on weekends it won’t take place and neither past work hours.”
The military has also taken other steps to minimize the amount of noise from their explosions. They have reduced the amount of explosives blown up at one time, and use sophisticated software to ensure that the noise will be at a safe level before firing.
The munitions being destroyed are 76 mm HESH rounds. HESH was fired by Canadian light armored vehicles during the Bosnian War. Woodman says that, “eventually they will become unsafe and there is a chance the propellant will auto ignite.”
The military hopes to have completed all necessary explosions by August 17th.
