Badger Army Ammunition Plant
Encyclopedia
The Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAAP or Badger) or Badger Ordnance Works (B.O.W.) is an excess, non-BRAC
, United States Army
facility located near Baraboo, Wisconsin
. Badger consists of 7,354 acres (30 km2) of land. It manufactured nitrocellulose
-based propellants during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It is currently the site of demolition
and remediation projects being conducted in preparation for property transfer. This ammunition
plant was the largest in the world when it was built during World War II.
. It is bounded by Devil's Lake State Park and the Baraboo Hills to the north, the Town of Merrimac
and the Wisconsin River
to the East, the Town of Prairie du Sac
to the south, and the Town of Sumpter
and the Bluffview
community to the West.
approximately 12,000 years ago. The bedrock in the area consists of quartzite
, sandstone
, shale
, and limestone
. Groundwater
flow is influenced by the Baraboo Hills to the north and the Wisconsin River
to the east.
and prairie
habitat. After settlers populated the area, agriculture
became predominant and few prairie and oak savanna remnants remained. Currently, the open spaces at Badger consist of some prairie remnants, which are maintained each year through the use of prescribed fire and clearing.
announced the construction of a powder and acid
works to be built by Hercules Powder Company
. On 19 November 1941, despite protests from those living on Sauk Prairie, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
authorized the $65,000,000 necessary to build the plant. By 1 March 1942, the farmers who lived there had left their farms.
Construction of Badger Ordnance Works, as it was known in World War II, began in March 1942. Before the works were built a 75,000 foot fence was erected around approximately 7,500 acres (30 km2) of the 10,500 acres (42 km2) acquired by the U.S. Army. When the plant was finished, it was complete with smokeless powder
and rocket grain production facilities as well as housing for 12,000 construction workers and their families for six months, housing for 4,000-8,000 production workers and their families for the length of World War II, a school, a recreation center, a child care facility, a hospital, cafeterias, and a transportation system. By December 1942, 24 miles (38.6 km) of standard gauge railroad were completed.
Within the first ten months of construction, the first production area went into operation. The plans originally called for production lines to make smokeless powder, diphenylamine
, and sulfuric acid
. In the end, Badger included production lines to make smokeless powder, acid, sulfuric acid, rocket propellant, and ball powder.
During the 60 years it produced ammunition for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, the Badger Army Ammunition Plant employed over 23,000 workers.
and Hercules Powder Company had the rights to make it at Badger. E.C. Powder was used in hand grenades, tear gas canisters, and blank cartridges. Badger also produced acid and oleum
which are necessary for the production of these forms of ammunition. The acid and oleum produced at Badger were used on site as well as shipped to other Army ammunition plants in the area.
On 10 May 1943, the first train load of finished product left Badger; 60,000 pounds
of smokeless powder was sent to the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant
in Minnesota
where it was used in M-1 rifle cartridges.
After World War II, Badger was placed on stand-by and subsequently placed into excess federal property status. The Hercules Powder Company began the process of demolishing and burning contaminated buildings, scrapping equipment, and donating office furniture and supplies to area schools. This led to some difficulties when Badger was reactivated for the Korean War.
was awarded the contract to manage Badger; Olin continued to operate Badger until 2004. In order to get Badger into operational shape, Olin replaced machinery, office furniture and supplies, and added building production areas such as the ball powder plant. At that time, Olin Industries was the only manufacturer of ball powder in the United States. Ball powder had been introduced by Western Cartridge, a subsidiary of Olin Industries, in 1933; however, it was not accepted by the U.S. Army until 1944.
Ball powder is a fine-grained, spherical gun powder coated in graphite
that is easy to store and transport in any climate and ideal for modern infantry small arms
ammunition cartridge
s. The time it took to build the ball powder plant at Badger was too long to enable any of the ball powder produced there to be used in the Korean War. Therefore, it was put into storage and eventually used during the Vietnam War.
years between the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Badger was held in stand-by status. It was believed that Badger would not be reactivated unless a war was imminent because the threat of a nuclear strike existed. Badger was important to the United States because of its location far from large cities, its water source, small reactivation costs, and the fact that it had the greatest ammunition manufacturing capabilities in the United States; Badger had the capability of producing most of the ammunition necessary for a land war. These qualities of Badger also made it a very likely target of a nuclear attack if it were to be reactivated. Therefore, Olin Industries maintained Badger on stand-by status until the United States announced its intent to send troops to Vietnam.
and Olin Industries each developed ball powder that was compatible with the M-16 rifles used in the Vietnam War and were used interchangeably. Hercules Powder Company also developed a ball powder for the rifles; however, it was not selected by the rifle manufacturers or the U.S. Army.
Badger was not the only location where Olin Industries was able to make ball powder; the company had another, smaller, plant in East Alton, Illinois
. It was believed that the East Alton plant would produce the ball powder necessary for the Vietnam War. However, when workers at the East Alton plant went on strike, the entire Vietnam operation was put into jeopardy. Therefore, Badger was reactivated on 3 January 1966 and Olin Industries prepared to make what would be millions of pounds of ammunition.
By September 1966, Badger was producing and shipping oleum to the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
near Chicago, Illinois.
, was awarded to the contract to operate Badger. Since that time, SpecPro, Inc. has led all maintenance, demolition, and remediation activities at Badger.
Early meetings were devoted to gathering and reviewing basic information about the Badger property and its role - past, present, and future - in Sauk County's landscape, community, and economy. The committee determined nine key values and detailed criteria for each value to guide consideration of future uses. The BRC chose one plan that best fit the parameters of the values out of 25 different proposals. The General Services Administration, the federal agency in charge of the redistribution, then took the recommendations of the committee into consideration in their allocation of the land.
The plan calls for all 7,534 acres to be managed as a whole. The land uses include conservation, prairie and savanna restoration, agriculture, education and recreation. These land uses should contribute to reconciliation and resolution of past conflicts. The conversion of the Badger lands provides remarkable opportunities for the protection, enhancement, use, restoration, and enjoyment of the property's unique natural and cultural features.
The BRC has sought to achieve a realistic, community-based, consensus vision for realizing these opportunities. In the past, the Badger lands have too often been a place of division, pain, and conflict. It is the hope of the committee that all members of our community may now contribute to a new beginning at Badger, one that honors the past while serving future generations in a spirit of reconciliation.
The Badger Reuse Plan establishes the need for a Badger Oversight and Management Board and is explicit in numerous provisions regarding the composition, responsibilities and authorities of that entity. Since the Badger Intergovernmental Group (BIG) Parties have previously agreed to work within the framework of and toward the implementation of the Reuse Plan through the INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, it is incumbent upon the BIG Parties to respect the elements of the Plan and to establish an Oversight Board that closely reflects the will of the BRC. The use of the name “oversight and management board” reflects a decision by the BRC that this entity shall have considerably more authority than what would be implied with an “advisory board.”
The BOMC meets bi-monthly to collaboratively plan the transition for the Badger properties.
Current Commisioners:
The USDA Dairy Forage will continue grazing cattle and growing crops on the land it receives. The estimated area to be received is approximately 2,233 acres (9 km2).
The BIA
will manage land for the Ho-Chunk Nation to graze bison
and hold ceremonies on the land it receives. The estimated area to be received is approximately 1,553 acres (6 km2).
The NPS
will transfer the land to the WDNR
through the Federal Lands to Parks Program for park and recreation use. The land will be used to expand Devil's Lake State Park and possibly make a hiking corridor connecting the park with the Wisconsin River
. The estimated area to be received is approximately 3,408 acres (14 km2).
The Town of Sumpter
will receive the three historic cemeteries located at Badger. These cemeteries were acquired and maintained by the U.S. Army during the initial land acquisition in 1942. The three cemeteries are the Pioneer, Thoelke, and Miller cemeteries. The estimated area to be received is approximately 3.6 acres (14,568.7 m²).
The Bluffview Sanitary District will receive land relating to the sewage and water treatment system it currently shares with Badger. Bluffview
, located across U.S. 12 from Badger, is former Badger employee housing which is now private residences. The estimated area to be received is approximately 165 acres (0.7 km2).
The WI DOT
will receive land along the existing State Highway 78. The WI DOT
plans to expand and straighten State Highway 78 in 2009. The estimated area to be received is approximately 58.3 acres (235,931.9 m²).
Materials
Other AAPs Associated with Badger
Other Topics
Community Groups
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
, United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
facility located near Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo is the largest city in, and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. It is situated on the Baraboo River. Its 2010 population was 12,048 according to the US Census Bureau...
. Badger consists of 7,354 acres (30 km2) of land. It manufactured nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
-based propellants during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It is currently the site of demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
and remediation projects being conducted in preparation for property transfer. This ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
plant was the largest in the world when it was built during World War II.
Geography
Badger consists of 7,354 acres (30 km2) of land in Sauk CountySauk County, Wisconsin
Sauk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,225. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. Sauk County is included in the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area and in the Madison Combined Statistical Area....
. It is bounded by Devil's Lake State Park and the Baraboo Hills to the north, the Town of Merrimac
Merrimac (town), Wisconsin
Merrimac is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 868 at the 2000 census. The Village of Merrimac is located within the town...
and the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
to the East, the Town of Prairie du Sac
Prairie du Sac (town), Wisconsin
Prairie du Sac is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,138 at the 2000 census. The Village of Prairie du Sac is located within the town...
to the south, and the Town of Sumpter
Sumpter, Wisconsin
Sumpter is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Bluffview is located in the town.-History :...
and the Bluffview
Bluffview, Wisconsin
Bluffview is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the town of Sumpter in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 742. Bluffview has an area of ; of this is land, and is water.-Notes:...
community to the West.
Geology
Badger is located on the terminal moraine of the outwash plain of a glacier which stopped in the area during the Wisconsin GlaciationWisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
approximately 12,000 years ago. The bedrock in the area consists of quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
, and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
flow is influenced by the Baraboo Hills to the north and the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
to the east.
Vegetation
This area originally consisted of oak savannaOak savanna
An oak savanna is a type of savanna, or lightly forested grassland, where oaks are the dominant tree species. These savannas were maintained historically through wildfires set by lightning, grazing, low precipitation, poor soil, and/or fires set by Native Americans...
and prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
habitat. After settlers populated the area, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
became predominant and few prairie and oak savanna remnants remained. Currently, the open spaces at Badger consist of some prairie remnants, which are maintained each year through the use of prescribed fire and clearing.
Construction
On 29 October 1941, U.S. Representative William H. StevensonWilliam H. Stevenson
William Henry Stevenson was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin for the years 1941-1949, he served as a Republican....
announced the construction of a powder and acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
works to be built by Hercules Powder Company
Hercules Inc.
Hercules, Inc., was a chemical and munitions manufacturing company based in Wilmington, Delaware, which was formed in 1912 as the Hercules Powder Company. Hercules was spun-off from the DuPont Corporation as a result of U.S. federal government actions in the field of antitrusts...
. On 19 November 1941, despite protests from those living on Sauk Prairie, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
authorized the $65,000,000 necessary to build the plant. By 1 March 1942, the farmers who lived there had left their farms.
Construction of Badger Ordnance Works, as it was known in World War II, began in March 1942. Before the works were built a 75,000 foot fence was erected around approximately 7,500 acres (30 km2) of the 10,500 acres (42 km2) acquired by the U.S. Army. When the plant was finished, it was complete with smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
and rocket grain production facilities as well as housing for 12,000 construction workers and their families for six months, housing for 4,000-8,000 production workers and their families for the length of World War II, a school, a recreation center, a child care facility, a hospital, cafeterias, and a transportation system. By December 1942, 24 miles (38.6 km) of standard gauge railroad were completed.
Within the first ten months of construction, the first production area went into operation. The plans originally called for production lines to make smokeless powder, diphenylamine
Diphenylamine
Diphenylamine is the organic compound with the formula 2NH. It is a colourless solid, but samples are often yellow due to oxidized impurities.-Preparation and reactivity:...
, and sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
. In the end, Badger included production lines to make smokeless powder, acid, sulfuric acid, rocket propellant, and ball powder.
During the 60 years it produced ammunition for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, the Badger Army Ammunition Plant employed over 23,000 workers.
World War II
During World War II, Badger was managed by Hercules Powder Company. It produced rocket propellant, smokeless powder, and E.C. powder. Smokeless powder had been patented a decade before World War II by DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
and Hercules Powder Company had the rights to make it at Badger. E.C. Powder was used in hand grenades, tear gas canisters, and blank cartridges. Badger also produced acid and oleum
Oleum
Oleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid ....
which are necessary for the production of these forms of ammunition. The acid and oleum produced at Badger were used on site as well as shipped to other Army ammunition plants in the area.
On 10 May 1943, the first train load of finished product left Badger; 60,000 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
of smokeless powder was sent to the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant
Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant
The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant is an inactive United States Army ammunition plant located in the Ramsey County, Minnesota in the suburbs of Arden Hills and New Brighton, bounded by County Road I to the north, Interstate 35W to the west, U.S. Route 10 to the southwest, County Highway 96 to...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
where it was used in M-1 rifle cartridges.
After World War II, Badger was placed on stand-by and subsequently placed into excess federal property status. The Hercules Powder Company began the process of demolishing and burning contaminated buildings, scrapping equipment, and donating office furniture and supplies to area schools. This led to some difficulties when Badger was reactivated for the Korean War.
Periods of Operation | ||
Production Area | Start Date | End Date |
Acid Acid An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red... | January 1943 | August 1945 |
Oleum Oleum Oleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid .... | January 1943 | August 1945 |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | March 1943 | July 1945 |
Rocket propellant Rocket propellant Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot... | March 1945 | September 1948 |
E.C. powder | July 1943 | October 1945 |
Production | ||
Ammunition Type | Pounds | |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | 257,968,900 | |
Rocket Rocket A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction... grain | 13,394,700 | |
Korean War
In 1951, during the Korean War, Olin IndustriesOlin Corp.
The Olin Corporation is a major manufacturer of ammunition and chlorine and sodium hydroxide . Based in Clayton, Missouri, it traces its history to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W...
was awarded the contract to manage Badger; Olin continued to operate Badger until 2004. In order to get Badger into operational shape, Olin replaced machinery, office furniture and supplies, and added building production areas such as the ball powder plant. At that time, Olin Industries was the only manufacturer of ball powder in the United States. Ball powder had been introduced by Western Cartridge, a subsidiary of Olin Industries, in 1933; however, it was not accepted by the U.S. Army until 1944.
Ball powder is a fine-grained, spherical gun powder coated in graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
that is easy to store and transport in any climate and ideal for modern infantry small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
ammunition cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
s. The time it took to build the ball powder plant at Badger was too long to enable any of the ball powder produced there to be used in the Korean War. Therefore, it was put into storage and eventually used during the Vietnam War.
Periods of Operation | ||
Production Area | Start Date | End Date |
Acid Acid An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red... | July 1951 | November 1957 |
Oleum Oleum Oleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid .... | October 1952 | October 1956 |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | October 1951 | December 1957 |
Rocket propellant Rocket propellant Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot... | November 1951 | October 1954 |
Rocket propellant Rocket propellant Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot... (2nd Run) | March 1955 | September 1955 |
Ball powder | September 1955 | September 1956 |
Production | ||
Ammunition Type | Pounds | |
Ball powder | 5,758,600 | |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | 235,832,900 | |
Rocket mortar | 35,845,200 | |
Mortar | 17,400 | |
Cold War
During the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
years between the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Badger was held in stand-by status. It was believed that Badger would not be reactivated unless a war was imminent because the threat of a nuclear strike existed. Badger was important to the United States because of its location far from large cities, its water source, small reactivation costs, and the fact that it had the greatest ammunition manufacturing capabilities in the United States; Badger had the capability of producing most of the ammunition necessary for a land war. These qualities of Badger also made it a very likely target of a nuclear attack if it were to be reactivated. Therefore, Olin Industries maintained Badger on stand-by status until the United States announced its intent to send troops to Vietnam.
Vietnam War
Before the Vietnam War began, the army was testing the new M-16 rifle which used ball powder ammunition. DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
and Olin Industries each developed ball powder that was compatible with the M-16 rifles used in the Vietnam War and were used interchangeably. Hercules Powder Company also developed a ball powder for the rifles; however, it was not selected by the rifle manufacturers or the U.S. Army.
Badger was not the only location where Olin Industries was able to make ball powder; the company had another, smaller, plant in East Alton, Illinois
East Alton, Illinois
East Alton is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,830 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Alton is located at ....
. It was believed that the East Alton plant would produce the ball powder necessary for the Vietnam War. However, when workers at the East Alton plant went on strike, the entire Vietnam operation was put into jeopardy. Therefore, Badger was reactivated on 3 January 1966 and Olin Industries prepared to make what would be millions of pounds of ammunition.
By September 1966, Badger was producing and shipping oleum to the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
Joliet Army Ammunition Plant formerly known as the Joliet Arsenal was a United States Army arsenal located in Will County, Illinois, near Elwood, Illinois, south of Joliet, Illinois. Opened in 1940 during World War II, the facility consisted of the Elwood Ordnance Plant and the Kankakee Ordnance...
near Chicago, Illinois.
Periods of Operation | ||
Production Area | Start Date | End Date |
Acid Acid An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red... | August 1966 | June 1975 |
Oleum Oleum Oleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid .... | September 1966 | June 1975 |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | August 1967 | August 1973 |
Rocket propellant Rocket propellant Rocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot... | June 1967 | June 1975 |
Ball powder | May 1966 | May 1975 |
Production | ||
Ammunition Type | Pounds | |
Ball powder | 99,985,600 | |
Smokeless powder Smokeless powder Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced... | 302,151,100 | |
5" Navy gun | 12,869,500 | |
MK-43 Rocket mortar | 71,718,600 | |
Post-war period
Olin Industries continued to maintain Badger on stand-by status after the Vietnam War. In 1997, the U.S. Army declared Badger to be excess to its needs. Until 2004, Olin Industries led the clean-up of Badger. In 2004, SpecPro, Inc., an 8(a) Certified Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) and subsidiary of the Bristol Bay Native CorporationBristol Bay Native Corporation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation, or BBNC, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Bristol Bay Native Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on June 13, 1972...
, was awarded to the contract to operate Badger. Since that time, SpecPro, Inc. has led all maintenance, demolition, and remediation activities at Badger.
Reuse and Collaboration
In early 2000, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors acted to establish a locally driven reuse planning process with the assistance of U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and funds provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, establishing the Badger Reuse Committee (BRC). The 21-member BRC included representatives from neighboring communities, local, state, and federal governments, and the Ho-Chunk Nation. In its mission statement, the BRC charged itself with the task of developing "a common vision for the reuse of the Badger property that can be meaningfully considered and realistically implemented by the appropriate local, state, and federal agencies."Early meetings were devoted to gathering and reviewing basic information about the Badger property and its role - past, present, and future - in Sauk County's landscape, community, and economy. The committee determined nine key values and detailed criteria for each value to guide consideration of future uses. The BRC chose one plan that best fit the parameters of the values out of 25 different proposals. The General Services Administration, the federal agency in charge of the redistribution, then took the recommendations of the committee into consideration in their allocation of the land.
The plan calls for all 7,534 acres to be managed as a whole. The land uses include conservation, prairie and savanna restoration, agriculture, education and recreation. These land uses should contribute to reconciliation and resolution of past conflicts. The conversion of the Badger lands provides remarkable opportunities for the protection, enhancement, use, restoration, and enjoyment of the property's unique natural and cultural features.
The BRC has sought to achieve a realistic, community-based, consensus vision for realizing these opportunities. In the past, the Badger lands have too often been a place of division, pain, and conflict. It is the hope of the committee that all members of our community may now contribute to a new beginning at Badger, one that honors the past while serving future generations in a spirit of reconciliation.
The Badger Reuse Plan establishes the need for a Badger Oversight and Management Board and is explicit in numerous provisions regarding the composition, responsibilities and authorities of that entity. Since the Badger Intergovernmental Group (BIG) Parties have previously agreed to work within the framework of and toward the implementation of the Reuse Plan through the INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, it is incumbent upon the BIG Parties to respect the elements of the Plan and to establish an Oversight Board that closely reflects the will of the BRC. The use of the name “oversight and management board” reflects a decision by the BRC that this entity shall have considerably more authority than what would be implied with an “advisory board.”
The BOMC meets bi-monthly to collaboratively plan the transition for the Badger properties.
Current Commisioners:
Future
Badger will be split among six landowners:- United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dairy Forage
The USDA Dairy Forage will continue grazing cattle and growing crops on the land it receives. The estimated area to be received is approximately 2,233 acres (9 km2).
- Bureau of Indian AffairsBureau of Indian AffairsThe Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
(BIA)/Ho-Chunk Nation
The BIA
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
will manage land for the Ho-Chunk Nation to graze bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
and hold ceremonies on the land it receives. The estimated area to be received is approximately 1,553 acres (6 km2).
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
(NPS)/Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
(WDNR)
The NPS
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
will transfer the land to the WDNR
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
through the Federal Lands to Parks Program for park and recreation use. The land will be used to expand Devil's Lake State Park and possibly make a hiking corridor connecting the park with the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
. The estimated area to be received is approximately 3,408 acres (14 km2).
- Town of Sumpter, WisconsinSumpter, WisconsinSumpter is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Bluffview is located in the town.-History :...
The Town of Sumpter
Sumpter, Wisconsin
Sumpter is a town in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Bluffview is located in the town.-History :...
will receive the three historic cemeteries located at Badger. These cemeteries were acquired and maintained by the U.S. Army during the initial land acquisition in 1942. The three cemeteries are the Pioneer, Thoelke, and Miller cemeteries. The estimated area to be received is approximately 3.6 acres (14,568.7 m²).
- Bluffview Sanitary District
The Bluffview Sanitary District will receive land relating to the sewage and water treatment system it currently shares with Badger. Bluffview
Bluffview, Wisconsin
Bluffview is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the town of Sumpter in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 742. Bluffview has an area of ; of this is land, and is water.-Notes:...
, located across U.S. 12 from Badger, is former Badger employee housing which is now private residences. The estimated area to be received is approximately 165 acres (0.7 km2).
- Wisconsin Department of TransportationWisconsin Department of TransportationThe Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
(WisDOT)
The WI DOT
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
will receive land along the existing State Highway 78. The WI DOT
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
plans to expand and straighten State Highway 78 in 2009. The estimated area to be received is approximately 58.3 acres (235,931.9 m²).
See also
Companies/Contractors- Olin CorporationOlin Corp.The Olin Corporation is a major manufacturer of ammunition and chlorine and sodium hydroxide . Based in Clayton, Missouri, it traces its history to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W...
, previous contractor - SpecPro, Inc., current contractor
- The Shaw Group, current contractor
- MSA Professional Services, subcontractor maintaining GIS program
Materials
- AmmunitionAmmunitionAmmunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
- DinitrotolueneDinitrotoluene2,4-Dinitrotoluene or Dinitro is an organic compound with the formula C6H32. This pale yellow crystalline solid is well known as a precursor to trinitrotoluene but is mainly used in the polymer industry....
- NitrocelluloseNitrocelluloseNitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
- Nitroglycerin
- OleumOleumOleum , or fuming sulfuric acid refers to a solution of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric acid ....
- PropellantPropellantA propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
- Rocket propellantRocket propellantRocket propellant is mass that is stored in some form of propellant tank, prior to being used as the propulsive mass that is ejected from a rocket engine in the form of a fluid jet to produce thrust. A fuel propellant is often burned with an oxidizer propellant to produce large volumes of very hot...
- Smokeless powderSmokeless powderSmokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
Other AAPs Associated with Badger
- Joliet Army Ammunition PlantJoliet Army Ammunition PlantJoliet Army Ammunition Plant formerly known as the Joliet Arsenal was a United States Army arsenal located in Will County, Illinois, near Elwood, Illinois, south of Joliet, Illinois. Opened in 1940 during World War II, the facility consisted of the Elwood Ordnance Plant and the Kankakee Ordnance...
- Ravenna Army Ammunition PlantRavenna Ordnance PlantCamp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center, formerly known as the Ravenna Training and Logistics Site and the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant and commonly known as the Ravenna Arsenal, is an Ohio Army National Guard military base located between Ravenna and Newton Falls and adjacent to the village...
Other Topics
- Environmental remediation
- Prairie restorationPrairie RestorationPrairie restoration is an ecologically friendly way to restore some of the prairie land that was lost to industry, farming and commerce. For example, the U.S...
- Restoration ecologyRestoration ecology-Definition:Restoration ecology is the scientific study and practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action, within a short time frame...
External links
Site Information- Badger GIS Website This site contains information from the Badger GIS system; including groundwater data, parcels, vegetation, structures, roads, etc.
- Badger Reuse Plan
- Badger Installation Action Plan (IAP)
- Survey number HAER WI-8 - Badger Army Ammunition Plant, Baraboo, Sauk County, WI
- SpecPro, Inc., provides current site management and U.S. Army support
Community Groups