Seneca Army Depot
Encyclopedia
The former Seneca Army Depot occupied 10,587 acres (43 km²) between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake
in Seneca County
, New York
. It was used as a munitions storage
and disposal facility by the United States Army
from 1941 until the 1990s. The Depot was listed in the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure
Commission and formally shut down on September 30, 2000. The property has since been transferred to the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency, which leases it to Seneca County Economic Development Corp.
Home to the world's largest herd of white deer
, the base is in the towns of Varick
and Romulus
. Adjacent to the storage facility is the Seneca Army Airfield, whose long runway
could handle large cargo aircraft; it too has been closed.
During the 1940s, the Army stored radioactive materials in connection with the Manhattan Project
in igloos E0801 through E0811, on the south end of the Depot. The Army RADCON
team performed a survey on these igloos during the week of 13 May 1985.
The depot was a major employer in the region. It was linked to the outside world by the airfield, railroad lines and highways (NY-96
and NY-96A
).
On three occasions — July 4, August 1, and November 3 — feminist artist Helene Aylon
put pillowcases on the depot's fence that were filled with "rescued earth" from nuclear sites across the country during her 1982 "Earth Ambulance" voyage and sleep-out at the United Nations. Writer/activist Grace Paley
was also among the demonstrators.
Demonstrations continued for several years, mostly originating from within the Women's Peace Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice, which operated from an old farmhouse on Route 96 in Romulus.
. A Seneca County Law Enforcement Center was constructed on a portion of the site, opening in May 2007. The depot's former airfield is slated for use as a New York State Police
training center.
In August 2002, The Glen Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) began using the airfield for autocross
racing competitions. Since then the site has also been used by the following SCCA regions: Finger Lakes, Western New York, Mohawk Hudson and Central New York. The Finger Lakes Region has used this site to host several major solo events at both the national and divisional level. Availability of the site for these purposes after August 2011 is not yet determined.
Starting in early 2007, the Cornell 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge Team began using the depot's private roads to test its autonomous vehicles.
Some warehouses are leased to The Advantage Group, which runs a storage and shipping business.
Much of the housing at the depot has been sold to private developers and is now available as part of the area's civilian housing stock.
Much of the railroad track and outer yards are being used for railroad car storage. As of 2008, no customers ship by rail.
For a time, the depot housed a unit of Kid's Peace, but that has now been taken over by the Hillside Children's Center, a similar program for children which is headquartered in Rochester. The center provides institutional housing and treatment for troubled youth.
In early 2007, Cilion announced plans to build an ethanol
plant on a portion of the former depot, but that project languished and appears to have died in the face of rising costs for corn and public concern about the wisdom of the project.
An article dated July 20, 2009 in the Watertown Daily Times stated that the Fort Drum-based 10th Mountain Division
(Light Infantry) would soon start using the depot for combat training.http://www.nnyads.com/article/20090720/NEWS03/307209984/-1//NEWS03
Discussions continue regarding the use of the rest of the land, much of which is dotted with large, concrete munitions storage bunkers known as igloos which were built at the beginning of World War II.
that carried a recessive gene for all-white coats were isolated within the depot. (They are not albinos
, as is frequently assumed. White deer do occur naturally in the wild.) The depot initially allowed only brown-coated deer to be killed, so the herd of white deer grew to more than 300, although hunters are occasionally allowed inside to kill a white deer.
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
in Seneca County
Seneca County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was used as a munitions storage
Ammunition dump
An ammunition dump, ammunition compound, ammunition depot, bomb dump, ammunition supply point or ammo dump, is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives....
and disposal facility by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1941 until the 1990s. The Depot was listed in the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
Commission and formally shut down on September 30, 2000. The property has since been transferred to the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency, which leases it to Seneca County Economic Development Corp.
Home to the world's largest herd of white deer
Seneca White Deer
The Seneca White Deer are a rare herd of deer living within the confines of the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County, New York. When the depot was created in 1941, a fence was erected around its perimeter, isolating a small herd of White-tailed deer, some of whom had white coats. These deer...
, the base is in the towns of Varick
Varick, New York
Varick is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 1,729 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Richard Varick, an officer in the American Revolution, mayor of New York City, and uncle of the first Town Supervisor, Anthony Dey.The Town of Varick is located in the...
and Romulus
Romulus, New York
Romulus is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 2,036 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics...
. Adjacent to the storage facility is the Seneca Army Airfield, whose long runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
could handle large cargo aircraft; it too has been closed.
During the 1940s, the Army stored radioactive materials in connection with the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
in igloos E0801 through E0811, on the south end of the Depot. The Army RADCON
RadCon
RadCon is a not-for-profit organization that promotes education in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Every February during President's Day weekend, RadCon hosts a weekend long convention at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco, Washington.-Highlights:...
team performed a survey on these igloos during the week of 13 May 1985.
The depot was a major employer in the region. It was linked to the outside world by the airfield, railroad lines and highways (NY-96
New York State Route 96
New York State Route 96 is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 in the Southern Tier village of Owego, Tioga County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with...
and NY-96A
New York State Route 96A
New York State Route 96A is a state highway in Seneca County, New York, in the United States. It is a north–south road between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, two of the Finger Lakes. NY 96A is two lanes wide for most of its length, with the exception of the long four-lane divided highway...
).
Demonstrations to close the facility
Beginning July 4, 1983, and running for several years, antiwar and antinuclear activists mounted major protests at the facility, staging civil disobedience protests and establishing the Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice. Major events in 1983 took place in August and October. During the October event, many people including Dr. Benjamin Spock climbed the fence surrounding the depot and were detained. Most fence climbers were released after being given "ban and bar letters" telling them they would be charged with trespass if they were apprehended inside the depot again.On three occasions — July 4, August 1, and November 3 — feminist artist Helene Aylon
Helene Aylon
Helène Aylon is an American multimedia ecofeminist artist. Her work can be divided into three phases: Process art in the '70s; anti-nuclear art in the '80s; and The G-d Project, a feminist commentary on the Hebrew Bible and other established traditions, in the '90s and 2000s.Aylon was raised in...
put pillowcases on the depot's fence that were filled with "rescued earth" from nuclear sites across the country during her 1982 "Earth Ambulance" voyage and sleep-out at the United Nations. Writer/activist Grace Paley
Grace Paley
Grace Paley was an American-Jewish short story writer, poet, and political activist.-Biography:Grace Paley was born in the Bronx to Isaac and Manya Ridnyik Goodside, who anglicized the family name from Gutseit on immigrating from Ukraine. Her father was a doctor. The family spoke Russian and...
was also among the demonstrators.
Demonstrations continued for several years, mostly originating from within the Women's Peace Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice, which operated from an old farmhouse on Route 96 in Romulus.
Current disposition of the depot land
The former depot property includes a maximum-security state prison, Five Points Correctional FacilityFive Points Correctional Facility
Five Points Correctional Facility is a maximum security men's prison located in Romulus, NY and operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services.- External links :*...
. A Seneca County Law Enforcement Center was constructed on a portion of the site, opening in May 2007. The depot's former airfield is slated for use as a New York State Police
New York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
training center.
In August 2002, The Glen Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) began using the airfield for autocross
Autocross
Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either sealed or unsealed surfaces...
racing competitions. Since then the site has also been used by the following SCCA regions: Finger Lakes, Western New York, Mohawk Hudson and Central New York. The Finger Lakes Region has used this site to host several major solo events at both the national and divisional level. Availability of the site for these purposes after August 2011 is not yet determined.
Starting in early 2007, the Cornell 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge Team began using the depot's private roads to test its autonomous vehicles.
Some warehouses are leased to The Advantage Group, which runs a storage and shipping business.
Much of the housing at the depot has been sold to private developers and is now available as part of the area's civilian housing stock.
Much of the railroad track and outer yards are being used for railroad car storage. As of 2008, no customers ship by rail.
For a time, the depot housed a unit of Kid's Peace, but that has now been taken over by the Hillside Children's Center, a similar program for children which is headquartered in Rochester. The center provides institutional housing and treatment for troubled youth.
In early 2007, Cilion announced plans to build an ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
plant on a portion of the former depot, but that project languished and appears to have died in the face of rising costs for corn and public concern about the wisdom of the project.
An article dated July 20, 2009 in the Watertown Daily Times stated that the Fort Drum-based 10th Mountain Division
10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
(Light Infantry) would soon start using the depot for combat training.http://www.nnyads.com/article/20090720/NEWS03/307209984/-1//NEWS03
Discussions continue regarding the use of the rest of the land, much of which is dotted with large, concrete munitions storage bunkers known as igloos which were built at the beginning of World War II.
The deer herd
The white deer, long the symbol for the depot, began appearing after the fence was erected in 1941. A handful of White-tailed deerWhite-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
that carried a recessive gene for all-white coats were isolated within the depot. (They are not albinos
Albinism
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...
, as is frequently assumed. White deer do occur naturally in the wild.) The depot initially allowed only brown-coated deer to be killed, so the herd of white deer grew to more than 300, although hunters are occasionally allowed inside to kill a white deer.