Case Studies
Under DC's Upscale Homes: A WWI Chemical Weapons Test Site
556 munition items dug from under a single house lot — 23 still held chemical agent.
Location
Spring Valley, Washington DC; a WWI Army chemical weapons test site beneath upscale homes.
When
The site was used for Army chemical weapons testing during WWI. Cleanup finished in 2021.
Contaminant
Chemical agents in munition items and arsenic in soil.
Who was affected
1,632 properties were tested; 177 needed arsenic soil removal.
Key detail
At a single house lot, 4825 Glenbrook Rd, 556 munition items were pulled from beneath the property. Of those, 23 held chemical agent. The cleanup also removed 7,500 tons of contaminated soil.
Sources: EPA, ATSDR, AP, US Army Corps