Sandy Hook to close temporarily after live ammunition found

Park officials said they're closing the entrance to Sandy Hook for up to eight hours on Saturday to dispose of the ammunition

SANDY HOOK -- Live ammunition washed up on a beach at Sandy Hook, prompting park officials to block off the area and plan to close the park temporarily on Saturday.

Unexploded ordnance was found on the beach at Sandy Hook on Wednesday(National Park Service) 

A park visitor on Wednesday found the unexploded ordnance, which was identified as a mortar, at Beach F, the park's fishing beach, said Daphe Yun, spokeswoman for Sandy Hook.

She said that beach and the area north of it has been closed since the discovery, which is not unusual for Sandy Hook because it was once a U.S. Army testing ground for ammunition.

The park will be closed between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday as crews from the Naval Weapons Station at Earle detonate the mortar, she said.

Officials at Earle said the detonation may cause the ground to shake and create "considerable" noise. And because the weather is predicted to be overcast on Saturday, the sound may be louder and travel farther, they said.

The park will open sooner if operations are completed sooner, Yun said.

Crews chose to dispose of the mortar on a weekend to minimize the impact of those who use the park during the week, including high school students and pre-schoolers, she said. They also chose a time of low tide when crews would have better access to the mortar, she said.