Lawmakers Get Update on Propellant Removal

Lawmakers are getting an update on efforts to dispose of 18 million pounds of military propellant that authorities said had been improperly stored at Camp Minden.

The state Military Department had planned to use federal money to hire an outside contractor to remove the explosive materials. But those plans got sidelined by the federal government shutdown and continuing questions about federal funding for agencies.

The House homeland security committee hears Tuesday about the disposal plans.

Discovery of the military propellant led to the evacuation of a small town last year. Executives of Explo Systems Inc. were indicted on felony charges related to the storage of the materials.

Explo was leasing space at Camp Minden, a National Guard installation, with a contract to separate military propellant bags and resell the components.