Crews begin clearing buried debris at Fort Bragg

Four townhouses were lifted 40 inches off their foundations Thursday so they can be moved while the debris is dug up and removed. The townhouses will be placed back on the foundations when the process is finished, officials said.

Posted 7:48 p.m. Sep 25, 2008 — Updated 8:59 p.m. Sep 25, 2008

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Crews on Thursday began the process of moving some townhouses on post so demolition debris buried under them can be removed.

Residents alerted Fort Bragg officials about possible problems when sinkholes began appearing in their yards. Officials then discovered debris like concrete, bricks, tree branches, carpeting and old appliances had been buried on sites where military housing has been built in recent years.

None of the construction waste poses a health hazard, officials said, but about a dozen families had to move last fall.

Lake Park, Fla.-based Palm Beach Grading Inc. has been blamed for the illegal dumping, which occurred in late 2004 and early 2005. The company is a subcontractor for Picerne Military Housing, which is building thousands of new homes on Fort Bragg for Army personnel and their families.

Four townhouses were lifted 40 inches off their foundations Thursday so they can be moved while the debris is dug up and removed. The townhouses will be placed back on their foundations when the process is finished, officials said.

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