The U.S. Navy EOD team will be conducting Innovative Readiness Training on portions of Appomattox River on Sept. 23-27. The public is advised to avoid the river from State Route 15 to State Route 45 during this time period. The sound of explosives may be heard during daylight hours and could be mistaken for thunder. Blast waves could potentially rattle windows or vibrate small items on shelves.

The Navy EOD team is performing this valuable training in preparation for responding to community needs during times of crisis and for honing their skills in explosive placement. These professionals are part of the same team that is called to diffuse IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in foreign territory, bombs found in public places, old artillery found in historic battlefields, and recovery missions that require diving expertise. The Navy EOD team is comprised of the most skilled professionals in this field.

Emergency response personnel in Farmville, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward County have been made aware of the training exercise.

The Friends of the Appomattox River has organized the local coordination of this annual training mission since 1998. Locally this training will remove obstructions from the river channel. The obstructions block navigation and contribute to severe erosion of the river bank. Reducing erosion of the river banks will decrease the amount of sediment entering the river, improve the aquatic health of the Appomattox River, and ultimately improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

This exercise is made possible in large part by the support of our local restaurants, river access granted by local landowners, Mel Smith, Town of Farmville, Longwood University Aramark, and the Southside Virginia Family YMCA.

The public is welcome to join members of the team at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Charley’s Waterfront Café to express their support of this effort and their commitment to military service for our country.

For more information on the Friends of the Appomattox River visit www.far-va.org.