The search was announced to the Airport Authority Board of Directors at their regular monthly meeting Thursday.

“They are coming out to see if we have an issue,” said Reid Bell, airport and industrial park manager.

The airport was the first Army Airfield for training the new B-29 crews. Numerous bomb runs were made from the airfield but the bombing ranges were not close to the field so no problems with unexploded ordinance are expected, Bell said.

The bombs were loaded on the B-29s at the airbase so it’s possible but not likely that some of that ordinance was never loaded and might still be on the base.

The search may turn up small arms fire. There were gunnery ranges at the airbase and it is possible that some spent shell casings are still at the airbase.

The bombing ranges will be examined at a late date.

While the Corps of Engineers are looking into the past at the airport, a committee will put together a long-range plan for the airport using a federal grant.

The committee consists of Reid, the Board, Fixed Base Operator Randy Hewitt, Pratt City Manager Dave Howard, Pratt Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brian Hoffman and Chris Lovell who works for Hewitt.

The last long range plan has expired that committee will put together a new plan that addresses the current and future needs of the airfield, Bell said.

The committee will work with the airport consultant firm Bucher Willis and Ratliff on the long-range plan. They have four years to develop the plan but Bell anticipates they will complete the plan in one year.

The grant is $120,000 and is made possible through the Federal Aviation Administration and has to be used for the long-range plan.

One future item is already under way. A World War II shop building is collapsing and the roof has caved in on a portion of the building. The airport has received four bids to demolish the building but demolition was put on hold after the discovery of a small amount of asbestos in the building.

Bids have gone out to do the asbestos abatement that will have to be completed before the demolition can take place. Bell expects the asbestos removal will not take long and the entire demolition should be completed soon.

While the shop is scheduled to come down, the renovation of the taxi way took one more step towards starting. The construction contracts were approved, signed and are on their way back to the contractor and consultant.

The board also took care of an annual request to the city of Pratt for the three mills they use to operate the airport. Every year the board adopts the resolution asking the city for the three mills that bring in about $100,000 for airport operations.

“Without it we couldn’t run the airport,” Bell said.

Matching grants provide the other funds necessary to operate the airport.