Here’s where you might discover old military explosives in Charlotte

Military operations have left behind toxic materials in cities all across the country, and if you were wondering where in the Queen City military waste might be hiding, ProPublica has you covered.

In a series of stories detailing clean-up efforts at sites, ProPublica released a map of all the places in the country where the military has left toxic and hazardous materials, including explosives.

There are at least three such hazardous places in the Charlotte area, according to the map.

In uptown, a still-used industrial site was once used during World War II, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The area has groundwater contamination from various industrial materials and petroleum products.

In west Charlotte, the former Camp Greene is considered a medium risk site on ProPublica’s map. In 1917, the base was built to train soldiers for World War I, and was used as an ammunition depot.

Near the North and South Carolina state line, the former Charlotte Naval Ammunition Depot is considered a high-risk site, according to ProPublica.

The site was designed by the Navy to be a shell loading plant, and has since turned into an industrial complex, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Military ammunition was produced at the site, and poses an explosive hazard. The site also has groundwater, soil, sediment and surface water contamination, ProPublica reported.

The site made news in March, when employees at a Frito-Lay factory found buried ammunition and explosives. No employees were hurt, but the site still poses an explosive hazard, according to the military.

The military spends more than a billion dollars each year to clean up toxic waste, ProPublica reported. In Charlotte, the risks aren’t expected to be fully removed until as late as 2049.

This story was originally published December 1, 2017 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Here’s where you might discover old military explosives in Charlotte."