Learn about Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is located along the Chesapeake Bay in the southeastern portion of Harford County, MD. It is adjacent to the town of Aberdeen, MD.
This facility is the Army’s oldest active proving ground. It was established on October 20, 1917. That was six months after the United States entered World War I in 1917. There are more than 60 different support activities. They represent every facet of technology. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG.
The planning and construction were overseen by Brigadier General Colden Ruggles. He later served as the Army’s Chief of Ordnance. The facility’s location allowed the design and testing of ordnance materiel to take place near industrial and shipping centers. The proving ground was created as a successor to the Sandy Hook Proving Ground. At the peak of World War II, APG had billeting space for 2,348 officers and 24,189 enlisted personnel.
APG occupies a land area of 113 square miles. The north border is near the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. To the south, it is bordered by the Gunpowder River. The installation lies on two peninsulas. They are separated by the Bush River. The northeastern peninsula is known as the Aberdeen Area. The southwestern is called the Edgewood Area. It was formerly known as the Edgewood Arsenal.
The Edgewood area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground was proposed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 10, 1985. Its National Priorities List shows the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. These are sites that require long term remedial action. The site was formally added to the National Priorities List on February 21, 1990.
The Edgewood area has large areas of land and water. There are also many buildings that are contaminated. Virtually all the land areas of the site contain contaminated or potentially contaminated sites and potentially buried ordnance. There were many substances disposed of in the area. They include significant quantities of napalm, white phosphorus, and chemical agents. On-site surface waters include rivers, streams, and wetlands.