Army OKs $1.5M settlement for pollution at former depot

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Army has reached an agreement with Zuni Pueblo, the Navajo Nation and the state of New Mexico to pay $1.5 million toward restoring environmental damage done at a former munitions depot.

The proposed settlement filed in federal court involves Fort Wingate, a former Army installation near Gallup that was used as a munitions storage and disposal site before being closed in 1993.

Both the pueblo and the Navajo Nation have long-standing historical ties to the lands in and around Fort Wingate. Pollution problems at the site include soil and water contaminated by hazardous waste and unexploded ordnance.

The cleanup work involves finding, disarming and removing explosives.