The Jefferson Proving Ground (or JPG), located in Madison

Madison, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, was principally a munitions testing facility of Test and Evaluation Command of the 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...

 Materiel Development and Readiness Command. JPG also serves other Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 organizations as well as private contractors assigned.

History

On October 8, 1940, the Chief of Ordnance acknowledged a need for the construction of an additional proving ground

Proving ground

A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...

 to carry out simultaneously and without interruption the many activities relative to proof work of the ordnance manufacturing program. In December 1940, the site acquisition committee decided on a 56,000 acre (230 km²) tract of land in southern Indiana because of its proximity to surrounding industrial and land availability. Construction began immediately, and the first round was fired at U.S. Army JPG on May 10, 1941. In April 1953, JPG reached a pinnacle of employment and activity, with 1,774 employees and a production of 175,000 rounds fired monthly.

Base closure

In 1989, JPG was identified for base closure under the base realignment and closure

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...

 (BRAC) and closed on September 30, 1995. Since that time, the Army has maintained a small on-site oversight staff and an off-site environmental coordinator. JPG is currently administered by the BRAC Division within the Army's Installation Management Agency which is responsible for managing JPG’s closure, cleanup, and property transfer.

Approximately 50,000 acres (200 km²) of the grounds north of the historic firing line became Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is a nature preserve in southeast Indiana, USA near Madison, Indiana. The refuge is the largest of Indiana's three, and is located in parts of Ripley, Jefferson, and Jennings counties....

 in 2000. Another 1,000 acre (4 km²) parcel north of the firing line within the former range is operated as an air to surface gunnery/bombing range by the Indiana Air National Guard

Indiana Air National Guard

The Indiana Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is, along with the Indiana Army National Guard, an element of the Indiana National Guard.-Mission:...

.

Environmental Concerns

The base contains a substantial amount of depleted uranium

Depleted uranium

Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...

 and the NRC

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...

has posed questions to the Army regarding environmental concerns as a result.

Who Utilizes JPG / MUTC

• Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Special Operations Forces
• State Emergency Management Agencies
• State Departments of Health
• Civil Air Patrol
• Public Safety Training Institutes
• Department of Homeland Security
• Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical Personnel
• Federal Emergency Management Agencies
• Federal Bureau of Investigations
• Civil Support Teams
• State Counter-Terrorism Agencies
• State Department of Correction