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DUGWAY -- The U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground was on lockdown Wednesday evening as part of "an ongoing security operation," according to spokeswoman Paula Thomas.

Reports of nearly 1,000 employees stranded at the base, some in their cars, went unconfirmed but Dugway Proving Ground Commander Col. William E. King, IV, said food and beverages were being brought in.

"As you know measures like these (lockdown of our gates) are not taken lightly," he said. "No one is in immediate danger but these steps are required." King said he would open the gates "as soon as I can."

The gates to the facility were closed prior to the 5:30 p.m. shift ending. Workers normally scheduled to go home were not allowed to leave, while those coming into the area were also not let in.

Dugway encompasses more than 800,000 acres of Utah's west desert, where more than 2,000 people call home. It is a government-owned facility used by the U.S. Army Reserves and the U.S. National Guard for maneuver training. It is also a U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command center where tests are occasionally run on defenses against biological and chemical weaponry.

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com

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