Desert to be scoured for World War II bombs

By J. Harry Jones, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 24, 2009 at 12:01 a.m.

BORREGO SPRINGS — More than three years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it was about to begin a daunting project — to scour hundreds of square miles of desert east of Borrego Springs looking for, and eventually removing, unexploded bombs and artillery shells abandoned during World War II.

Public hearings were held, and plans were set. Then the funding dried up and nothing happened.

But beginning early next year, a scaled-down version of the project will begin, according to the Corps.

“We’re hoping to get it cranked back up and started in January,â€