Army agrees to pay $1.5 million for Fort Wingate pollution

The U.S. Army has reached an agreement with the Zuni Pueblo, Navajo Nation and the state to pay $1.5 million toward restoring environmental damage done while the defunct Fort Wingate operated a munitions depot near Gallup.

Established in 1870 as an outpost against Apaches, the fort morphed into a munitions storage and disposal site in the 20th century and shut down in 1993, leaving behind extensive pollution and other damage.

The settlement, filed in federal court, includes about $1 million for restoration projects, $117,000 for cultural services damage and $314,000 to cover the past and future costs of the state Natural Resources Trustee’s Office.