IV. Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex
F. SRMSC Post-Closure Activities
As tempers flared, dismantling was underway on-site. Between December of 1975 and the end of 1977, all missiles were removed from the MSR and RSL areas. Missile silos were sealed, the MSCB, along with its power plant, was salvaged (that is, a contractor was allowed to remove almost all useable/resalable materials resulting in these structures being stripped of wiring, stair rails, etc.) and then sealed. Warheads and interceptors were removed from the sites, and the silos were sealed and abandoned.
Inactivation in earnest began on 10 February 1976.
After closure, the MSR and RSL sites fell into disuse. A portion of the MSR was excessed (declared in excess of federal government needs and disposed of) by the General Services Administration (GSA) in 1977. This area included the non-tactical portion of the site. While in possession of remaining portions of the SRMSC except for the PAR site, the GSA made little provision for maintenance and repair of many of the buildings. The harsh North Dakota winters had caused significant damage to the unattended structures. When the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command, as a result of the Warren-Nunn BMD treaty stipulations, reacquired this land area in 1991, many of the facilities had suffered irreparable damage. The Missile Site Control Building, itself, had flooded; salvaging had left an access for ground water to seep in, and a mammoth effort was required to remove the water. Due to the hazards they represented, other buildings were simply dismantled. A few buildings, however, were retrievable and have been repaired and restored to assist in their protection from the mercurial climatic conditions. The remaining domestic structures have been removed for use as housing facilities.
Additional comments regarding post-closure activities from Ves Fulp. <$