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Remote Sprint Launch Sites > RSL HAER Info > RSL Introduction and Physical History

RSL Introduction and Physical History

(Adapted from Historic American Engineering Record, HAER No. Introduction:

The four Remote Sprint Launch (RSL) sites, which were located within 10 to 20 miles of the Missile Site Control Building (MSCB), were in the general area of the Minuteman missiles which they were to defend. Each occupied from 37 to 45 acres of land.

The sites were composed of sentry stations, heat sinks, fuel storage tanks, waste stabilization ponds, a Sprint missile launch area containing 12 to 16 Sprint launch stations, and a buried, reinforced concrete remote launch operations building (RLOB).

The RLOB's were single story structures that controlled and monitored the RSL sites as the signals from the MSCB directed. Their approximate exterior dimensions were 43 by 24 m (142 by 80 ft) around and 5 m (17 ft) high. The four RLOB's were identical except for their access tunnels which measured 3.3 m2 (11 ft2) and averaged 27.4 m (90 ft) in length.

There were 54 Sprint launchers dispersed among the RSL's as follows:

With the 16 Sprint launchers and 30 Spartan launchers at the MSR site, the total number of launchers was 100 as specified by the SALT I ABM treaty with the Soviet Union.

Part I. Historical Information

A. Physical History

1. Date of Erection:

The completion dates for the Remote Sprint Launch Sites and corresponding Remote Launch Operations Buildings (RLOB's) were:

2. Architect(s):

It was decided that the smaller scaled, less demanding RSL sites should be separate from the main Missile Site Radar (MSR) / Perimeter Acquisition Radar (PAR) bidding package. Following the design of the Leo A. Daly Company, work begain on the RSL sites on the following dates:

3. Original and Subsequent Owners:

In August 1972, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferred Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex (SRMSC) site responsibility to the U.S. Army Safeguard System Command (SAFSCOM). On 3 September 1974, the U.S. Army Safeguard Command (SAFCMD) and the Ballistic Missile Defense Operations Agency (BMDOA) relieved SAFSCOM and were established as operational elements for the SRMSC; SAFCMD soon assumed operation/maintenance responsibility. The U.S. Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM), manned by Army Surveillance Battalion, Grand Forks, was the using command.

On 10 February 1976, all Safeguard facilities except the PAR were "abandoned in place" and put in caretaker status. All RSL sites are presently owned by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Omaha District) and General Services Administration had land authority through December 1991. The abandoned RSL sites remain in inactive status, overseen by the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command (USASSDC).

4. Builders, Contractors, Suppliers:

The construction contractors were Woerfel Corporation and Towne Realty, Inc., which were awarded contracts for RSL sites #1 and #4 on 30 August 1971 for the amount of $7,870,533 and contracts for RSL sites #2 and #3 on 26 March 1971 for the amount of $7,630,950. Chris Berg, Inc., designed and erected the support facilities.

5. Original Plans and Construction:

The Safeguard program was officially inaugurated in March 1969. However, original plans for the RSL sites were altered somewhat in 1970 by the announcement of a "Modified Phase II Safeguard," with the addition of extra Sprint missiles mandating two additional RSL sites, for a total of four. Construction on the RSL's began in earnest the following year.

By the close of the 1971 construction season in November, varying degrees of progress had been made:

The RSL 1 and 4 sites had only site grading, fencing, preliminary fencing, and limited preparatory work completed at the time. The inclement weather delayed actual RSL 1 and 4 construction until 13 April 1972. Design and erection of associated "soft" support facilities by Chris Berg, Inc., also took place in 1972. Construction of RLOB #1110 began on 9 May 1972; mechanical and electrical installation took place between 15 October 1972 and 20 November 1973. Construction of RLOB #4110 began on 9 May 1972; mechanical and electrical installation took place between 15 October 1972 and 5 November 1973.

Construction of RLOB #2110 began on 23 May 1971, while work on RLOB #3110 began on 23 June 1971. By the close of the 1971 construction season, RSL sites #2 and #3 had all prefabricated steel Sprint cells emplaced and both Remote Launch Operations Building (RLOB) "shells" completed, which allowed interior construction during the harsh winter. Design and erection of associated "soft" support facilities by Chris Berg, Inc., also took place in 1971. Mechanical and electrical installation took place between 1 June 1972 and September 1973.

Various engineering changes and the difficulty of the undertaking for Woerfel Corporation and Towne Realty, Inc., theretofore concerned primarily with simpler tasks such as residential construction, delayed the completion of the RSL sites. Completion of each site slipped in scheduling by about 3 months. With the Sprint missiles arriving at the SRMSC in April 1975, RLOB completion dates were: 6. Alterations and Additions:

By 1977 all missiles had been removed from the silo launchers, and the silos were sealed, and the RSL's salvaged and sealed as part of the SRMSC deactivation phase. At this point, the RSL sites were essentially "abandoned in place."

In December 1989, an on-site environmental inspection found various facilities containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's); this resulted in testing, disposal, and cleanup of these items. The USASSDC, along with the Omaha District and Huntsville Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, completed the cleanup.

Much remediation has been performed within the RSL area regarding PCB contamination. Following a 23 July 1991 collection of soil and destructive samples from a stained RSL 4 concrete transformer pad, it was determined that elevated concentrations of PCB's (specifically Aroclor 1254) existed. Approximately 3 inches of concrete were removed from the upper portion of the pad, and soil around its perimeter was excavated to a depth of 6 inches. Lighting ballasts containing small amounts of PCB's were removed from all RSL sites from June through November 1991. Lighting ballasts and Radio Frequency (RF) filters were removed as follows: