– Missile Site For Sale

NEKOMA, N.D. (AP) – The federal government is soliciting online bids for an abandoned Cold War-era missile base in northeastern North Dakota. But state health officials say about 420,000 gallons of groundwater that has seeped into the underground silos at the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard complex need to be cleaned up. Grand That could cost up to $6 million.
Federal officials say they don’t think there’s contamination, and they’re going ahead with the bidding. The main complex and four remote missile-launch sites are for sale “as is.”
The controversy could derail plans by the Cavalier County Job Development Authority to buy the complex and turn it into a center for unmanned aircraft research. The group has received about $700,000 from the state and federal governments for the effort.