Residents reported to the Delaware State Police the presence of MEC items found in clamshells, which had been delivered for use as driveway and surfacing material on their driveways. A request from the Delaware State Police had the U.S. Air Force EOD unit from Dover Air Force Base respond, locate and remove numerous MEC items. Clamshells disposed of as a byproduct from clam harvesting and processing operations contained MEC inadvertently dredged with the clams from the ocean floor. The MEC types that could be found in the driveways and stockpiles include, but are not limited to, WWI French grenades, British Military fuzes, 81mm practice mortar rounds, Pineapple Mark II grenades, 75mm rounds and 30mm Anti-Aircraft projectiles. A 75mm round found at one location was subsequently determined to contain Mustard agent, a chemical warfare materiel (CWM).
Twelve residential driveways and a distribution trucking firm were scanned for MEC. Over 510,000 sq. ft. of driveways and 9,200 cu yd of clamshell stockpiles were investigated and cleared of MEC. Seventeen different types of MEC for a total of 175 items were discovered and turned over to the appropriate Army and Air Force Explosive Ordnance Detachments for destruction.
