ERIE — Neosho County commissioners on Tuesday heard about an inert bomblet that was found at the county landfill east of Erie in early October.
Bryan Whelan told commissioners Tuesday that he was asked to recover the BLU-97 for his company, which he didn’t name. He told commissioners he’s been subject to possible defamation since then at the hands of a Neosho County employee and that he may have to take legal action.
The BLU-97 is part of a cluster bomb that has been manufactured in the past at Day & Zimmermann Inc., which is located at Great Plains Industrial Park, formerly the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. More than 200 of the small bomblets would be packed in the cluster bomb. An aircraft would drop the cluster bomb, which would release the bomblets that would float down and explode. An international treaty filed in 2010 prohibits the manufacture, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. The U.S. is not a signatory to that treaty, according to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.
It is unknown if DZI is still manufacturing cluster bombs, according to Human Rights Watch. The DZI plant manager didn’t respond by deadline.
Whelan told commissioners that when he found out about the inert bomblet in the landfill, he traveled there and confirmed it. He called his work supervisor who told him to take possession of the bomblet and return it to work.
Commissioner Gail Klaassen asked Whelan how he knew the bomblet was in the landfill. Whelan said someone sent him a picture of it and asked him what it was. When asked who gave him the authority to remove it, Whelan gave the name of an assistant manager.
Whelan said he had an explosive handler’s permit.
Commissioners took no action on the discussion Tuesday.
In other matters, commissioners: — Accepted a bid from Berthot Enterprises to work on 24 windows at the judicial center in Chanute for $5,280.
— Met in closed session to discuss non-elected personnel. No action was taken after the session.
— Heard that demolition on the Elk Road river bridge would start this week.
— Approved a resolution reducing the speed on 240th Road between Douglas and Elk to 30 mph for the duration of the Elk Road river bridge project.
— Listened as Commissioner Paul Westhoff and Road and Bridge Director Mike Brown had a testy exchange over brush cut on the county right of way. A property owner complained to the county, but Commissioner Nicholas Galemore said that person is satisfied with the solution in place. Westhoff thought Road and Bridge workers should talk to the landowner before doing the work, and Brown said the work was done in the county right of way. Brown said the crews did nothing wrong. Brown accused Westhoff of harassing him, which Westhoff denied. Klaassen cut off that conversation.
— Heard Westhoff ask about a county owned pickup parked at the Road and Bridge office that doesn’t have county stickers on it. Brown told Westhoff the truck is parked most of the time unless someone in the office needs to get to the courthouse. Westhoff demanded that Brown place county stickers on it and a GPS tracker and that he be given access to the GPS data. Klaassen the commission is done with the GPS issue. “We already OK’d the vehicles that we were going to do. And we already agreed that commissioners are not going to have access to the GPS information unless we’re in executive session. It’s not going to be an individual commissioner,” Klaassen said. Brown said the vehicle has low miles and that he eventually will use it as his truck as the one he is driving now has high miles. He said he will put stickers on the truck as well as the GPS tracker from his current truck when he quits using it.
