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Sen. Moran Announces New Resources for Remediation of the Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant

Action follows years-long effort from Sen. Moran to accelerate clean-up of 9,000 acre property

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced new contracts for remediation and clean-up efforts on behalf of the United States Army for the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto. The awards include a $12 million contract toward environmental remediation construction, investigation, production piping and cleanup of environmental contamination, and a $2.6 million contract to conduct field investigations and develop subsequent reports.

“I am pleased that the Army awarded two new contracts totaling nearly $15 million to continue much-needed remediation at the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto,” said. Sen. Moran. “I look forward to seeing this progress and will continue to work closely with the Army and Johnson County stakeholders to see this project to completion.”

The Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant is a 9,000 acre, 15-square-mile property in Western Johnson County. At one time the massive property was home to facilities that produced raw materials, including gunpowder, during World War II. It has since sat empty, contaminated from the old facilities, with remediation efforts pending for years. Since coming to the Senate in 2011, Sen. Moran has worked with Johnson County stakeholders and local officials to make certain the Sunflower Plant was on the path toward usability by the public, with numerous efforts to increase transparency of the Army’s process and accelerate the timeline of the clean-up.

Items to note:

  • In June 2017, as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs and Related Agencies, Sen. Moran convened a hearing on remediation efforts of the Sunflower Plant.
  • In May 2018, the Kansas City Star detailed clean-up efforts including Sen. Moran’s work to increase transparency within the Army.
  • In September 2018, Sen. Moran met with Assistant Secretary of the Army Jordan Gillis and Brigadier General Joy Currier to discuss clean-up efforts and to urge and accelerated timeline of the project.
     

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