Letter to Deutch on DERA cuts.

[Gawain Kripke <gkripke@Essential.ORG>]

Following is an alert being sent to several hundred organizations,
individuals, and community representatives urging Deputy Secretary Deutch
to support full funding of DOD environmental programs. Please consider
signing on yourself and/or your organization. Please email or fax me
directly. This is an urgent request as the budget decision will be made
in the next several weeks. If you have any questions, suggestions, or
comments, you can contact me at the numbers listed below. Thanks.

Gawain Kripke, Friends of the Earth, gkripke@essential.org

BEGIN INFO PACKET AND SIGN-ON LETTER____________

 December 12, 1994

Dear friend,

I am faxing you an urgent request to sign a letter to Department of
Defense Deputy Secretary John Deutch asking for adequate funding of
environmental cleanup and compliance at defense facilities. As you may be
aware, funding for the defense cleanup program is threatened as the
Administration and Congress seek ways to cut the federal budget deficit
and maintain defense spending on readiness and weapons.

The new Congressional leadership has been unfairly critical of cleanup and
other environmental spending at the Department of Defense and last week
two senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee called for
cutting funding for DOD environmental programs.

The Department of Defense is also considering making cuts to the
environmental program budget. A news report last week by the Defense
Environment Alert said that Deputy Secretary Deutch will decide by the end
of December whether to slash cleanup spending by as much as $294 million
next year.

To respond to this attack, we are sending the following letter to Deputy
Secretary Deutch urging him to support environmental cleanup funding.
Please consider signing yourself and/or your organization on to the
letter. You may use the response form (last page of this fax) to sign up.
We would like to send a copy of this letter up by the end of this week, so
we are setting a deadline of December 15. We will send a revised version
of the letter later so please respond even if you can not make the
deadline. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to
call me at 202/783-7400 ext. 212.

 Sincerely,
 Gawain Kripke
 Policy Associate

DRAFT LETTER TO ASSISTANT
SECRETARY JOHN DEUTCH PLEASE SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP AND COMPLIANCE
FUNDING

 December 12, 1994

Hon. John Deutch
Deputy Secretary of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, DC

Dear Sir:

 The undersigned individuals and organizations urge you to support
funding for Department of Defense environmental funding at levels
necessary to fulfill the the Department's commitments to communities and
its legal obligations. Recent news reports suggest that the Department of
Defense may cut its funding request for fiscal year 1996 and the 1997
planning figure substantially below levels suggested by the Environmental
Security office.

 Many of us represent communities that are bearing the brunt of
hazardous waste contamination and other pollution from domestic Defense
Department facilities. Over a period of decades, Defense environmental
practices have undermined our health, environment, and economic prospects.
That is, we have been "dumped upon" by the very forces that are supposed
to protect us.

 Over the last few years, however, the Defense Department
Environmental Security office and the armed services have increased
cleanup, compliance, and other environmental programs. Gradually, they
are making progress toward winning the respect and support of base
neighbors and employees. Increasingly, Defense communities are being
treated as partners, not adversaries. Improved stakeholder participation
and streamlined oversight are good examples of that new partnership.

 We are deeply concerned, however, drastic cuts in Defense
environmental programs will undermine that spirit of partnership.
Cleaning up and reducing pollution will become more contentious, less
effective, and much more costly.

 Maintaining adequate funding will, on the other hand, enable all
parties to continue their joint efforts to make cleanup cheaper, faster,
safer, and better.

[Signatures: names of individuals and organizations with related defense
facilities listed for reference]

 RESPONSE FORM:
 DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING LETTER
 Deadline: December 15 by close of business

TO: Gawain Kripke
 Friends of the Earth
 202/ 783-7400 ext. 212
 Fax: 202/ 783-0444 or 202/ 879-4293
 Email: gkripke@essential.org

 PLEASE CHECK:

 ____ YES, PLEASE SIGN ME UP AS AN INDIVIDUAL to the letter Assistant
 urging Deputy Secretary Deutch to fully fund DOD's environmental
 programs.
 _____ Please list my organization for identification
 purposes only.
 _____ Please list me as "living near or affected by" the
 following military
 base(s):

 ____ NO, we do not wish to sign the letter.

 Name (please print)
 Organization (full name):___________________________________
 Street: ________________________________________________
 City/State: _______________________ Zip: ____________
 Contact name (if different): _____________________ ___________
 Phone: __________________________ Fax: _____ ____________
 Comment:

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