Look Back ... to a massive cleanup imminent at fort, 1999

July 16, 1949: The date fell on a Saturday during a 12-year period (1940-52) when The Star didn’t publish on that day of the week.

July 16, 1999, in The Star: Army officials moved closer this week to beginning the cleanup of Fort McClellan’s thousands of acres where unexploded munitions are scattered all over. Removal of the unexploded ordnance is vital to the redevelopment of the fort, with particular importance — putting it in line as first to be cleared — is the proposed route of the Alabama 21 eastern bypass that’s considered to be the key to industrial development on fort property. The cleanup contract is worth at least $50 million to some lucky company qualified to do the specialized work. Representatives from four separate companies have been at the fort this week demonstrating their unique and presumably proprietary technology that gets the job done.