2 Unexploded Bombs Found at Campus

Associated Press/November 7, 2001

Houghton, Mich. -- Two unexploded bombs were found on the campus of Michigan Technological University, and the school is offering a $2,000 reward for information on the case.

Campus police discovered the bombs at about 3:30 a.m. Monday during what was supposed to have been a routine campus search near the U.J. Noblet Forestry Building and the U.S. Forest Service Engineering Laboratory. Work at the labs include genetic engineering research for the forest products industry.

A state police bomb squad defused and removed the bombs. No injuries were reported.

The bombs consisted of three 5-gallon buckets filled with an unknown liquid wired to two ignition devices.

"These were real devices,'' school spokesman Dean Woodbeck said. "We think that whoever did this ... was specifically targeting something dealing with the forestry building and the forest building.''

State and federal authorities were investigating Wednesday and the university offered the $2,000 reward for information.

University spokesman Bill Curnow said he was unaware of any threats toward the school. In April, the Earth Liberation Front sent out a nationwide Earth Day e-mail warning against genetic engineering research, he said.

The radical environmental group has claimed responsibility on its Web site for several recent attacks on genetic engineering and other projects, but makes no reference to Michigan Tech.

The ELF told The Associated Press in an e-mail message Wednesday that no one was available for comment.