Army Corps Says They Can't Check For Bombs Under Classrooms
Posted: 5:11 pm EST January 21, 2008Updated: 5:32 pm EST January 21, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Old bombs are raising new questions about the safety of students at an Orange County middle school. Monday, while students were out of school for Martin Luther King Day, the Army Corps of Engineers blew up more bombs found at Odyssey Middle School.The school was built right next to an old World War II bombing range and so far 100 devices have been found on school grounds, but officials remain firm that students and faculty are safe. That's because they think Monday's detonations were the very last of the bombs underneath open fields on campus.But when Eyewitness News asked Monday if bombs are buried beneath classrooms, they weren't so sure.Six months of searching, 100 bombs blown up and one million dollars later, Army Corps officials said they've cleared Odyssey Middle School of bombs, everywhere but underneath the classrooms."Our instruments are not able to look under the school. We're not able to check that," said Nancy Sticht, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Sticht said they'll never know for sure if bombs are buried underneath the school, but it doesn't matter."If there are any under the school, it's encased, and for munitions items to be dangerous they have to be accessible and you have to disturb it," she said.The bulk of the bombs were buried in three locations around the running track. Now that they're gone, the search moves on to the Tivoli Gardens subdivision next door, where homeowners have had enough."It's just lies after lies after lies," said homeowner Hector Figueroa.Figueroa is angry no one told him his home was built alongside a bombing range. He's seen his house value plummet and has lost faith in government officials who say it will be ok."I can't trust them, they said that several times and they go back in and find a bunch more," he said.The Army Corps says all levels of government will coordinate to stop growth along a bombing ranging, but it's little consolation for Figueroa, who has no choice but to sue to recoup his losses.Even though the school has been cleared, the search for bombs is far from over. They have to search several area subdivisions and, when that's done, they will then start work to make sure a thick growth of trees nearby is also free of bombs.
Previous Stories:
- January 21, 2008: More Bombs Found Near Odyssey Middle School Have Residents Concerned
- January 14, 2008: Buried Bombs Could Cause Orlando Homeowners To Lose Insurance
- January 8, 2008: Homeowners Taking Legal Action After Bombs Found At Nearby School
- January 7, 2008: Students Return To School With Remaining Explosives Fenced In
- January 5, 2008: More Munitions Detonated At Odyssey Middle School
- January 4, 2008: Army Corps To Detonate More Explosives Found At Middle School
- December 27, 2007: Army Corps Back On School Campus Looking For Bombs
- November 19, 2007: Army Corps To Dig 2,000 Holes In Search For Bombs
- November 12, 2007: Lawmakers Want Army Corps To Expand Search For Old Bombs
- November 7, 2007: Explosive Discovery Expands Area Of Concern Near Bombing Range
- October 16, 2007: No New Bombs Found But Property Value Concerns Exist
- October 16, 2007: Developer Evacuates Homes In Search For Old Bombs
- October 15, 2007: Builder Marks Homes That May Have Bombs On Property
- October 12, 2007: Builder: If You Want Proof There Are No Bombs, I'll Dig Up Your Lawn
- October 3, 2007: Army Corp Of Engineers Finds Live Bomb Near Middle School
- August 30, 2007: Builder Says It Will Survey For Live Bombs In Two Neighborhoods
- August 17, 2007: Army Suggests Fence Around Old Bombing Range Near School
- August 10, 2007: Parents Unsatisfied With Answers About Bombing Range
- August 7, 2007: Homeowners Concerned As Corps Surveys Bombing Range
- July 30, 2007: Corps Of Engineers Testing School Campus For Explosives
Copyright 2008 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.














Pump Patrol
Theme Park Guide
Central Florida's Medical City
Bored Room
Buy It For Half 


