How do you remove 50 pounds of dynamite from an old school bus? Very carefully

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - New details about an operation that removed 50 pounds of dynamite from an old school bus at mile 115 of the Richardson Highway on Wednesday have been released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Anchorage office.

Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day said the property owner discovered the dynamite in the bus, which was parked on his property, and called local law enforcement, which in turn contacted the FBI.

State Troopers and other agencies were involved in the seven-hour operation that shut the Richardson Highway periodically on Wednesday while it was taking place.

Agents say the dynamite was at least 20 years old. Its location near the highway made it unsafe to try to detonate the explosives there.

“They assessed that the antiquated dynamite was not in a location that they wanted to do a controlled explosion,” said Day. “So, they worked diligently as a team to remove the dynamite to a more appropriate location to dispose of it in a safe and proper manner, which was a controlled burn.”

Day said the dynamite was doused with chemicals to keep it from exploding while it was burned, the situation was also monitored by a bomb disposal robot.

Agents didn’t provide information on how the explosives got on the bus or their intended use, but added that the property owner cooperated completely and did the right thing to call it in. Day said it’s not uncommon for people to find explosives on their property with no idea how they got there.

“Someone goes to clear out their parent’s shed and that’s when they discover it, and they never knew it was there.”

 The best thing to do, she said, is call law enforcement which will assess the situation then make sure the explosives are disposed of safely.

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