[CPEO-MEF] JO CO May Develop Sunflower Ammo Plant

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[Kansas]
JO CO May Develop Sunflower Ammo Plant
U.S. House Passes Bill Giving Land To County
POSTED: 3:17 p.m. CST November 14, 2002

DE SOTO, Kan. -- Johnson County is a step closer to acquiring 2,000
acres of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant near De Soto. If all
goes well, the county hopes to develop the land into a park, officials
said.

The measure was added to a 2003 defense spending bill that the U.S.
Senate passed Wednesday. Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, who shepherded the
measure, called it one of the federal government's biggest investments
in Johnson County.

"It's a very significant investment in the quality of life of the
residents of Johnson County," the Republican senator said.

The measure would allow the federal government to transfer the old
ammunition plant land to the Johnson County Park and Recreation
District. The House passed the bill Tuesday, and President Bush is
expected to sign it.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, a Democrat from Lenexa, introduced a similar
bill in the House.

How the land will be transferred is unknown, said Michael Meadors,
executive director of the county's Park and Recreation District.

First, a cleanup of some environmental contamination -- either by the
Army or a developer in exchange for access to the rest of Sunflower --
will need to be done. Then it can be transferred to the county, Meadors
said.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/1786763/detail.html

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