Reported by Stephanie Coueignoux

ORANGE COUNTY -- Some residents continue to have concerns about their neighborhood, which is a former World War II bombing range.

After more than a year and a half of searching for old bombs, the Army Corps of Engineers is now hoping to move forward with a final plan of action.  

From the latest information, the Army Corps of Engineers said it has found more bombs and bomb debris in three of the 12 neighborhoods they've been focusing on.
   
While officials said they've done a very thorough search, there's no guarantee that every bomb will be found.

"(Do you feel like this will ever get wrapped up?) No. Definitely not. I think the Army Corps of Engineers has made it clear to us that we will live with this for as long as we're there,” said Ron Cumello.

Cumello, a longtime resident, isn't sure what to think about living in an area where World War II bombs have been discovered.

"What does it mean? Should people continue to worry? Continue to live there? How do you resolve it?" Cumello said.

"You never know what you're going to find until you go out and actually do the investigation," said Amanda Ellison from the Army Corps of Engineers.

The contaminated areas are Avon, Lee Vista Square and Tivoli Gardens. Odyssey Middle School is also included. Corps officials said they found nothing north of Lee Vista Boulevard.

Like many residents, Cumello is worried about how the chemicals and remaining bombs will affect his safety, health and the value of his property.

However, he said he doesn't want to make any assumptions just yet.

"I think it's still fact finding. Still trying to understand what the risks are," Cumello said.

The Army Corps of Engineers shared their new findings with residents at a meeting Tuesday night.

Officials hope to have a proposed plan of action by March. In May, the public will have 30 days to comment on the plan. The proposal will be finalized in June.

After that, the Corps will figure out a way to finish removing and renovating the affected areas.

As News 13 reported Nov. 13, the Corps will search Odyssey Middle School again.

If residents want the Corps to go back and search certain areas again, that could happen. The Corps could also focus on the three neighborhoods where they've already found more bombs.

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