Park Service Says WWI-Era Munitions Found In D.C. Park, And More May Be Hidden

The National Park Service is warning that additional munitions may be hidden in a Washington, D.C., park after World War I-era projectiles were found buried there in the spring.

An area of Fort Totten Park in northeastern Washington remains fenced off to the public following the discovery in April, the agency announced Thursday in a press release.

“The NPS and the Army have determined it is possible Fort Totten Park contains additional munitions,” the park service said, without detailing how it came to this conclusion.

An NPS spokesperson did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.

Two metal canisters had been found in the soil of Fort Totten Park — located at the site of a former Civil War fort — on April 18.

In this week’s press release, one canister was described as a 75 mm projectile; the other was a so-called Livens projectile, which could be used to hurl chemical agents.

An analysis by military experts determined that the canisters, as well as liquid found inside the Livens projectile, did not pose a hazard, the NPS said.

“The liquid was 99.9994 percent water and 0.0006 percent a commercial chemical called acetophenone,” the agency said. “It is not hazardous.”

Back in 2020, a portion of Fort Totten Park was similarly closed after authorities reported finding what they thought was an unexploded WWI-era ordnance. An investigation later determined that the munition was an “unfused and unused, empty canister.” A search of the area at the time did not turn up any additional canisters.

The NPS and the Army are now seeking funding to conduct a comprehensive investigation at the park, according to Thursday’s press release.