Defense Environmental Budget

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

CLEANUP APPROPRIATIONS CHOPPED

When Congress concludes its deliberations on military spending this
September, it will probably end up slicing $150 million to $300 million
from the administration request for Department of Defense (DOD) cleanup.
The Congressional Armed Services Committees, which authorize
Department of Defense environmental spending, have generally been
supportive of cleanup funding requests. The Appropriations subcommittees,
on the other hand, have not been convinced that the requested program is
necessary, efficient, or perhaps more to the point, has a political
constituency.

This year, after the typical whittling down of requirements defined in the
field, DOD sought $2,180,200,000 for the Defense Environmental
Restoration Account (DERA). DERA funds cleanup at active and former
domestic installations, but it does not cover expenses at facilities closed or
closing under the three rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).
The House Appropriators slashed $300,000,000 from DERA, and the
Senate approved a cut of $146,125,000. Unless significant pressure is
brought to bear, the Conference committee, which is scheduled to meet in
September, will probably split the difference, resulting in a significant
shortfall of cleanup funds.

The Senate Appropriators took another step that could inhibit remediation in
the long run by reducing funds for important research and development
activities that could lead to cheaper, safer, faster, and better cleanup. They
deleted the $30 million in DERA environmental technology projects and
earmarked most of the new Innovative Environmental Technology Systems
Program (IETSP) for activities unrelated to cleanup. Both programs were to
have been key sources of funding for the demonstration and fielding of new
cleanup technologies that are needed to make environmental restoration
cheaper, faster, and better. In particular, the Senate Appropriations
Committee seeks to direct $18 million to fund a Climate Change Fuel Cell
Program, to be managed by the Energy Department's Morgantown Energy
Technology Center, $3.5 million to demonstrate the "Terra-Vit" hazardous
waste treatment technology in Hawaii, and $3.5 million for the Natural Gas
Liquifier Program. All of these programs have their own merit, but if the
IETSP is dedicated to them, valuable resources will be diverted from an
important, requirement-based technology program.

This article is reprinted from the September, 1994 edition of the CITIZENS
REPORT ON THE MILITARY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. For more
information, or to be place on the mailing list, contact <lsiegel@igc.org>.