Surf City beaches reopen after munitions cleanup

SURF CITY, N.J. - Beachgoers on Long Beach Island can have a blast this summer - the right way.

Surf City's beaches have reopened after the final phase of a project to remove World War I-era military munitions inadvertently pumped ashore as part of a beach replenishment project in 2006 and 2007.

Susan Anderson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told the Press of Atlantic City that the only work that remains to be done is a handicapped-access ramp and some dune grass planting.

The Corps wanted to have the beaches open by May 22, but finished early.

Since the final phase of cleanup began in late January, workers have found nearly 2,000 pieces of military ordnance, mostly fuses or detonators that could still explode if jarred.    -AP