Fourth District Congressman William Timmons announced Thursday that $27 million has been secured toward the final cleanup at former World II training site Camp Croft.

“I am excited to announce that the Army Corps of Engineers notified my office earlier this week that they will begin to work to complete their cleanup of Camp Croft later this year,” Timmons stated.

Open to the public and operated by the state, much of today’s 7,054-acre Croft State Park is within the boundaries of former 19,044-acre Camp Croft. It is about 10 miles south of Spartanburg.

The Army Corps of Engineers once estimated it would cost $100 million to clean up Croft State Park, where potentially explosive munitions were left over after World War II.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Corps cleaned up the areas most frequently used by park visitors, including campsites, picnic areas, horse trails and the arena.

But several large natural areas were marked “unsecured” because they were never swept for potential explosives such as mortar shells and grenades.

The Corps spent an estimated $25 million on the cleanup, but the cleanup halted about 15 years ago due to lack of funding.

Jim Herzog of Cowpens, a longtime member of the Corps’ Camp Croft citizens advisory panel, has been leading the charge in recent years to restore funding to finish the cleanup and ensure the state park is fully free of any possible leftover munitions.

Herzog thanked Timmons for making sure the funding for Camp Croft stayed in the Corps budget this year. He also thanked Spartanburg County Council for its support..

“This will allow Croft State Park to consider expansion for public use and enjoyment,” Herzog said of the final cleanup.

Timmons, in turn, thanked Herzog for sticking with his advocacy to finish the cleanup.

“I first learned about the need to clean up Camp Croft during my time in the South Carolina Senate, and this has been one of my top priorities since coming to Congress,” Timmons stated.

“I am thrilled that (the Corps) included this project in their budget and look forward to finally seeing Camp Croft reach its full potential.”

The 4th Congressional District includes large portions of Greenville and Spartanburg counties.

The Corps of Engineers will hold a citizens advisory meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Spartanburg Marriott.

For more information, visit the Camp Croft website.