Action Alert

[gkripke@Essential.ORG]

Posting from Gawain Kripke <gkripke@Essential.ORG>

Following is an action alert and draft letter for funding defense cleanups.
I hope those of you who can will make an effort to contact your senators
on this issue. If you need help with phone numbers or addresses, send me
a message and I can try to get you a list. 

I'll keep you updated. Good luck.

Gawain Kripke Internet: foe@essential.org

Begin action alert and draft letter here: 

 ACTION ALERT
 HELP NEEDED
 TO SAVE DEFENSE CLEANUP FUNDING SITUATION

 On February 22, the House of Representatives cut $150 million from
the Department of Defense Environmental Restoration Account (DERA) which
funds assessment, planning, and cleanup of toxic contamination at military
facilities. This cut was included as part of legislation providing $3.2
billion of new money for DOD paid for by budget cuts in both domestic and
defense programs. The new spending package is intended to offset costs
related to peacekeeping operations but went significantly beyond what the
Department of Defense requested. In addition to the defense cleanup cut,
the House cut $100 million from the Department of Energy cleanup program. 

 Next Thursday, March 2, the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet
to put together the Senate version of the Defense spending bill. No
information is available yet on whether, and how big, the Senate may cut
Defense Cleanup spending. 

BACKGROUND

 Environmental restoration spending is rapidly declining. President
Clinton's fiscal year 1996 budget request (for next year) slashes
Department of Defense environmental cleanup funding to $1.62 billion. For
fiscal year 1995 (this year) Congress approved $1.78 billion which was a
$400 million cut from Clinton's request of $2.18 billion. In fiscal year
1994 (last year), Congress approved $1.96 billion. Internally, the
Environmental Security Office of the Pentagon said that it needed $2.10
billion for fiscal year 1996. 

 FY94 FY95 Clinton FY95 Approved* FY96 Clinton [FY96 DOD Env.] 
DERA 1.96 2.18 1.78 1.62 [2.10] 
* Proposed rescission could reduce FY95 funding. 

 California Governor Pete Wilson recently wrote to Defense Secretary
William Perry: "The continued erosion of cleanup funding inevitably will
threaten the health of armed services personnel and civilians who work at
military bases where contamination is present. It will also exacerbate
economic suffering in communities that are struggling to redevelop closing
bases." 

ACTION NEEDED
 Please contact your Senators and ask them to oppose cuts in Defense
Environmental Cleanup funding. Mention any facilities you are concerned
about and the need for progress on cleaning them up. If you participate
in a restoration advisory board or other public participation vehicle
mention any progress made at your facility. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION
 Call or email Gawain Kripke at Friends of the Earth for more
information. He can be reached at 202/783-7400 ext. 212 or
gkripke@essential.org. 

Sample letter on Defense cleanup funding. 

Dear Senator: 

 We are writing to express our deep concern about major proposed
reductions in funding for environmental restoration at the Department of
Defense. The President has proposed a fiscal year 1996 budget for the
Defense Environmental Remediation Account (DERA) of $1.622 billion. This
is significantly lower than last year's approved level and more than $500
million less than requested last year. In addition, the House has
approved a mid-year rescission of $150 million from the FY95 DERA budget. 
Additional cuts are being threatened by leading members of Congress. 

 These reductions come at a very bad time, just as the armed services
are moving from the study phase to actual cleanup at major military
facilities. This year, for the first time, DERA account spent more on
actual remediation than on investigations and planning. 

 As neighbors of these installations, we are concerned that the
downward slide in cleanup budgets is a sign that the Federal government is
unwilling to accept its obligations to protect human health and the
environment. We do not feel that cleaning up past contamination is
discretionary. The obligation to clean up was incurred when contaminants
were released, and the citizens, military personnel, neighbors,
communities, and local governments expect the federal government to keep
its commitment, as clearly defined in federal and state statutes and in
legal agreements between state and Federal regulatory agencies. 

 We understand the need for Federal programs to reduce spending, and
to find efficiencies. But proposed reductions in Defense cleanup go too
far. If upheld, they will mean: 

 1) Additional risk to human health and the environment. 
 2) The continued spread of contaminants, leading to increased
long-term cleanup costs. 
 3) Undermining of the goodwill and partnerships developed among all
stakeholders to improve and expedite cleanup. In fact, if cleanup 
budgets continue their downward slide, we expect adversarial negotiations 
and litigation will likely become the norm once again. 
 4) Increased pressure to accept inadequate investigations of weaker
cleanup standards. 
 5) Less opportunity - at closing bases, in particular - to use
cleanup projects to promote economic recovery, career transition, and 
environmental justice. 
 6) Increased pressure on state and local governments to absorb the
cost or the consequences of Federal decisions. 

 We therefore call on you to: 
 a) Oppose rescissions in fiscal year 1995 Defense cleanup funding. 
 b) Support full funding for environmental cleanup in the Base
Realignment and Closure account (BRAC) to assure speedy and efficient 
conversion of closing facilities. 
 c) Support stable, adequate out-year funding for Defense cleanup at
levels based upon historical effort.

 Thank you. 

 Sincerely,

For your reference:

 SENATE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS
 104th Congress
 APPROPRIATIONS
 S-128 Capitol Building, Washington, 224-3471
 Republicans Democrats
 Mark Hatfield (OR), Chmn. Robert Byrd (WV)
 Ted Stevens (AK) Daniel Inouye (HI)
 Thad Cochran (MS) Ernest Holldings (SC)
 Arlen Specter (PA) Bennett Johnston (LA)
 Pete Domenici (NM) Patrick Leahy (VT)
 Phil Gramm (TX) Dale Bumpers (AR)
 Christopher Bond (MO) Frank Lautenburg (NJ)
 Slade Gorton (WA) Tom Harkin (IA)
 Mitch McConnell (KY) Barbara Mikulski (MD)
 Connie Mack (FL) Harry Reid (NV)
 Conrad Burns (MT) Robert Kerrey (NE)
 Richard Shelby (AL) Herbert Kohl (WI)
 James Jeffords (VT) Patty Murray (WA)
 Judd Gregg (NH)
 Robert Bennett (UT)