Demolition Area

USA / California / Beckwourth /
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This place was used as a demolition area in 1960-1970.

The long narrow marks on the ground are the burn scars where missiles were laid, before their solid fuel motor casings were split open end-to-end by an explosive shaped-charge. With the solid-fuel exposed to the air they could then be safely burned to dispose of them.

Declassified files in The National Archives, London, disclose that Polaris A3T missile motors from British stocks were disposed of here in the mid-1980's.
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Coordinates:   40°14'30"N   120°9'27"W
This article was last modified 11 years ago