[CPEO-IRF] Hill briefing on BRAC

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[One of the most interesting lessons from the briefing described below 
is that representatives of the private sector, local government, and 
public stakeholders have reached essentially the same conclusions from 
previous base closure rounds. - LS]


Cleanup considered key to reuse of shuttered bases

By Roxana Tiron
The Hill (DC)
May 12, 2005

The highly anticipated Defense Department base realignment and closure 
(BRAC) list, expected to be released tomorrow, will yield winners and 
losers.

But the losers might not be so bad off.

Many states and lawmakers fear an economic blow as the Pentagon plans to 
close, scale down or realign some of its 425 major domestic bases to 
save billions of dollars a year. While that fear can be valid, the 
situation is "far from being the absolute death for these communities," 
said Chris Hellman, an analyst at the Center for Arms Control and 
Non-Proliferation in Washington.

...

Some members of Congress are gearing up to use the BRAC 2005 round to 
draw attention to the necessity for environmental cleanup, a showstopper 
in several communities affected by previous base closures. If this BRAC 
batch is approached properly, "it could help a number of communities," 
said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/TheExecutive/051205.html

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org



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