Hello, lately I have been pondering what the Ravenna Ordnance Plant is all about. I have not been able to find anyone in person who knows much about it and there doesn't seem to be a website discussing it. But basically, it is a gigantic area on the outskirts of Ravenna that is set behind main roads and not accessible by anyone (as far as I know). It is surrounded by barbed wire and is practically as big as an entire city.

 

The only thing I know about the R.O.P. is that it was used as a weapons manufacturing facility, maybe during WW2 by the US government. I also heard that there is some form of toxic waste buried there. I drove all the way out there a while back and couldn't even see an entrance or a view from the ouside since it is set way back behind woods on all 4 sides.

 

If anyone has a full history of the R.O.P., pictures, inside stories, know if it's at all accessible.. Basicaly if anyone can offer some insight about the place, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

 

-John

The Ravenna Ordinance Plant aka the Ravenna Arsenal is definitely not accessible unless you're part of the National Guard contingent that uses the land or part of the cleanup/dismantling of the facilities there.  It produced weapons primarily in WW2 and was a key location for the development of period anti-tank rockets.  The footprint of the facility is indeed massive.  If you look at a map of Portage County you'll notice that there's a whole lot of nothing east northeast of ravenna.  Found a quote that I thought somewhat funny from the Museum of the Open Road "Today, it's the focus of a clean-up operation to make the area safe and non-explosive"

 

 

some history/pictures:

http://www.ohiotrespassers.com/arsenal.html

 

Some Facts:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/aap-ravenna.htm

 

Couple Pictures:

http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/Previews?oid=2533567&results=12&fieldname=xml&sort=thedate&searchstatus=1&hits=1&count=1&searchmark=0&searchstring=&format=yourscrap&searchtype=kw&scrapid=6766&p=1

 

Currents Events:

http://www.cpeo.org/lists/military/2005/msg00055.html

 

 

Some military training has also gone on there. Just before the First Gulf War, the National Guard air wing out of Youngstown Municipal Airport was practicing aerial drops of materiel from C-5A's at the Ravenna Arsenal. At least I think they were C-5A's, because they were awfully loud and big when they turned southeast over my house, back when I lived in southern Geauga County. The noise generated complaints from some of my neighbors, but I thought it was all pretty cool.

 

The Ravenna Arsenal also was proposed to be a cargo jetport in the early to mid 1990s, but local opposition killed the plan.

 

In the 1980s, when I was at Kent State University, I came across some photos at the library showing the whole area before, during and after the site's conversion into the arsenal. That was circa 1940. Numerous farmhouses were demolished, roads removed or realigned (or paved!), railroad tracks routed throughout, and countless structures built on the land.

 

KJP

I think my mother used to live on or near site waaaaaaay back in the day, i'll ask her

There's some on-site action now.  From the 7/30/05 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Demolition of buildings at Ravenna arsenal begins

Army razing 20 now, 95 more by year's end; final 6 may be burned

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Robotic equipment and heavily plated equipment are being used to raze 20 small buildings at the closed Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.

 

An additional 95 buildings will be demolished with that equipment by the end of the year, said Army spokesman Mark Patterson.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/12263301.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

burning is an acceptable form of demolition?

It depends who starts the fire.

WTF...the buildings are contaminated, so it's somehow "more safe" to burn them down?

 

WHAT?!?

remind me to plug my nose when driving through ravenna this weekend........

 

So does anyone know if there's a sneaky way to get near the site?

remind me to plug my nose when driving through ravenna this weekend........

 

So does anyone know if there's a sneaky way to get near the site?

 

Parachute in

^can i borrow your airplane?

I tried to get near the site, but it's not possible. There's the option of first trespassing on someone's property to climb over the fencing and then once inside, trespassing again on the Ravenna Ordnance Plant - a double trespassing conviction, ouch! Plus, who knows what kind of cameras or security the site has, even if you get in, who knows what happens next.. I drove around the south and east sides of the site, but it's set way back behind private property (houses, trailer homes, and farm land). I did find a fairly large trailer park which bordered the ROP, but the back of the trailer park was blocked by barbed wire fencing and then more woods/forest was behind, completely blocking even a glimpse of what the damn ROP looks like. Anyone with better luck than me, I'd love to hear from you!!

An update on the progress from the 12/3/05 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Additional pollution, explosives at arsenal

'Medium-priority' sites include test areas, quarry

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

A report on the extent of contamination at 14 additional areas at the Ravenna Army Ammunition Facility is to be made final in early 2006.

 

MKM Engineers, a consultant for the Army, found explosives and heavy-metal contamination at the 14 medium-priority sites on the now-closed 21,419-acre complex east of Ravenna in Portage and Trumbull counties.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13318809.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

From the 12/9/05 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

U.S. Army wants to dig up soil in arsenal burn zone

Plan, backed by EPA, to be subject of public hearing on Dec. 20

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The U.S. Army would like to excavate and clean up a contaminated site at the now-closed Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.

 

Digging up the 200-acre site, known as the Winklepeck Burning Ground, would probably cost $1.2 million, said Army spokesman Irv Venger.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13366981.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

From the 1/26/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Test burn gets poor assessment

Army's plan for arsenal underestimates risks, expert on dioxins says

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

WINDHAM - A laboratory test planned by the U.S. Army on paints from the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant is flawed and will probably underestimate the toxic threat to neighbors, a Virginia professor says.

 

That assessment came from Dr. Peter deFur of Virginia Commonwealth University, an expert on dioxins who reviewed the Army's preliminary plan.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13715600.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 5/16/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

INPUT Deadline near for Arsenal comments

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The public has until Thursday to make comment on the feasibility plans for remediation of six contaminated areas at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant east of Ravenna.

 

That is when a 30-day window closes for public review and comment on feasibility studies for remediation of the Fuze and Booster Quarry Landfill/Ponds; Open Demolition Area #2; the Erie Burning Grounds; Load Line 12, the Central Burn Pits and the Ramsdell Quarry Landfill.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/article.php?pathToFile=/articles//news/&file=arsenaldeadlines.txt&article=1&tD=

 

From the 6/22/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Ravenna arsenal tests set

Lab in Columbus will check PCB levels in paint for U.S. Army

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

PARIS TWP. - Initial testing on paints that contain health-threatening polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant could begin in three to four weeks.

 

That assessment came Wednesday from consultant Joe Carvitti of Columbus-based Battelle, a research facility that will conduct the tests for the Army.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14875253.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 7/1/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Arsenal buildings to be razed

Army expected to begin demolition work soon at the closed Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Work is expected to begin the week of July 10 to raze and remove about 45 buildings at the closed Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.

 

The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has contracted with PIKA International Inc. of Stafford, Texas, to remove Load Line 8 and Load Line 10 at the 21,419-acre complex east of Ravenna in Portage and Trumbull counties.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14946512.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 8/28/06 Warren Tribune Chronicle:

 

 

Army revises arsenal cleanup

By MARLY KOSINSKI Tribune Chronicle

 

RAVENNA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finally has made a decision prohibiting the open burning of PCB wastes found in old buildings at the Ravenna Arsenal.

 

But an official at the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant said because the EPA dragged its feet for so long on the issue, the Army already had decided not to burn some of the Arsenal facilities.

 

http://tribune-chronicle.com/articles.asp?articleID=8048

 

From the 9/2/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Burn at Ravenna Arsenal not likely

EPA rejects plan to dispose of buildings

Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The open burning of PCB-laced buildings at the Ravenna Arsenal likely will not happen, according to the facilitys manager and environmentalists.

 

An EPA workgroup examining regulations for disposing of materials contaminated by PCBs and other materials is said to have rejected the U.S. Armys requests to burn PCB-contaminated building materials at sites around the country, according to environmentalists and local sources.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/194632

From the 9/28/06 Ravenna Record-Courier:

 

 

Records of Arsenal explosion reviewed

Will determine whether debris from March 1943 blast, which killed 11, is dangerous

Tom Prusha

September 28, 2006

Record-Courier staff writer

 

Records of an explosion of 41,000 pounds of cluster bombs on March 24, 1943, at the Ravenna Arsenal are being reviewed to determine if the debris which spread over more than 600 acres can be dangerous.

 

Eleven workers were killed as they were loading trucks with 2,516 bombs.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/197696

 

From the 10/15/06 PD:

 

 

Bomb cleanup plan targets Ravenna Arsenal

Deadly blast in '43 of special interest

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Karen Farkas

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Windham Township - Edna Wilson's skill at double-clutching got her a job driving trucks at the Ravenna Arsenal during World War II.

 

Until March 24, 1943, though, she did not know she was hauling live ammunition around the more than 21,000-acre compound, which produced and stored artillery and mortar shells, said her daughter, Jeannette Hall. 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/116090148384740.xml&coll=2

 

From the 12/28/06 Record-Courier:

 

 

Arsenal to raze wartime buildings

No plans to burn structures

December 28, 2006

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The last buildings that supplied hundreds of thousands of artillery shells and other munitions for American armed forces in World War II are coming down.

 

The U.S. Army has contracted to take down 110 buildings at three load lines at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant east of Ravenna during the next two years.

 

"None (left), that's it," said Irv Venger, acting facility manager. "We will have some foundations to take out in due course, but the buildings are done."

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1248182

 

From the 3/14/07 Record-Courier:

 

 

Arsenal study clears 2 areas

Public comment open to April 15

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The Army is recommending no remedial action on soil at two areas at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant. The no-action option was outlined at a public meeting Tuesday in Newton Falls.

 

Representatives of Science Applications International Corporation outlined the studies on the 35-acre Erie Burning Ground in the former arsenal's northeast corner, and the 25-acre Open Demolition Area No. 2, located in the center of the installation.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1719751

 

From the 3/22/07 Record-Courier:

 

 

Arsenal soil haul to begin in summer

700 truckloads to be removed

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

Starting sometime this summer, more than 700 truckloads of contaminated soil and dry sediment will be taken out of the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant for disposal.

 

The soil will be a result of remediation work at Load Lines 1 through 4, part of the World War II-era complex that made tens of thousands of artillery rounds and other munitions.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1753612

 

From the 4/9/07 Record-Courier:

 

 

Cleanup of Arsenal to be discussed

Army sets public meeting Tuesday in Newton Falls

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

The U.S. Army will hold a public meeting Tuesday in Newton Falls to discuss proposed cleanup plans for three more areas at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant.

 

Contaminated soil has been found at the Ramsdell Quarry Landfill, Load Line 12, and the Fuze and Booster Quarry. The three areas total 139 acres, and the proposed cleanup is excavation of soils and dry sediments with offsite disposal in an appropriate landfill.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1831461

 

From the 4/11/07 Record-Courier:

 

 

Three more areas at Ravenna Arsenal are slated for clean up

By Mike Sever

Record-Courier staff writer

 

Three more areas at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant are slated for clean up.

 

Kevin Jago of Science Applications International Corp., said contaminated soil has been found at the Ramsdell Quarry Landfill, Load Line 12, and the Fuze and Booster Quarry. The three areas total 139 acres, and the proposed cleanup plan is to excavate soils and dry sediments and dispose of them off site in an appropriate landfill. The oil to be removed totals 1,690 cubic yards, or about 2,500 tons.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1841031

 

From the 6/30/07 Record-Courier:

 

 

Blast halts arsenal cleanup

Nobody injured as grenade explodes in Rocket Ridge area

By Mike Hixenbaugh

Record-Courier staff writer

 

A ground explosion halted cleanup work at the former Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant last week.

 

Approximately 800 feet from a detonation site where an Army cleanup crew was working, a damaged white phosphorus rifle grenade exploded on June 18. No one was near the blast, but the unexpected explosion forced crews to cease work.

 

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/2201932

 

http://www.portagecountyevents.com/calendar/TheDayWindhamAlmostDied02182013

 

(A former teacher of mine is organizing this)