Re: Sign-on Letter: Base Clean-up in Pa

[pbloom@soils.umn.edu]

Posting from "Paul Bloom" <pbloom@soils.umn.edu>
Reply-To: "Paul Bloom" <pbloom@soils.umn.edu>
Subject: Re: Sign-on Letter: Base Clean-up in Pa

> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> I am signing on to the letter to President Clinton on the need for the 
> United States to be responsible for toxic and dangerous substances on U.S. 
> military bases in Panama. 
> 
> Paul R. Bloom
> ______________________________________________________
> Name, as you would like it to appear
> 
> Co-chair Philippine Study Group of Minnesota
> _______________________________________________________
> Organizational affiliation and title, as you would like it to appear
> 
> Please return to FOR by August 30 at fax or address shown above or by e-
> mail to: fornatl@igc.org
> 
> 
> LETTER TEXT
> August 30, 1995
> 
> The President
> The White House
> Washington, DC 20500
> 
> Dear Mr. President:
> 
> The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and the the undersigned 
> individuals wish to applaud the efforts your administration has taken to 
> expand U.S. military environmental compliance at home and abroad and 
> commend your commitment to open dialogue with citizens affected by 
> base contamination.
> 
> The September 7 State visit by Panaminan President Ernesto Perez 
> Balladares provides an opportunity to jointly assess the implementation 
> of the Panama Canal Treaties. In light of this important meeting, we 
> write to urge you to examine the problem of toxic and environmental 
> damage to U.S military sites being closed in Panama in accordance with 
> the Canal Treaties. 
> 
> The Canal Treaties offer an unprecedented opportunity for new 
> relations with Panama and with the rest of the region, based on mutual 
> respect and maturity. 
> 
> The Treaties commit both the United States and Panama to carry out 
> Treaty-related activities "in a manner consistent with the protection of 
> the natural environment of the Republic of Panama" and to "consult and 
> cooperate with each other in all appropriate ways to ensure that they 
> shall give due regard to the protection and conservation of the 
> environment." (Art. VI, Para. 1, Panama Canal Treaty)
> 
> The Canal Treaty also requires the United States to "ensure insofar 
> as may be practicable that every hazard to human life, health and safety is 
> removed from any defense site or military area" at the time of U.S. 
> withdrawal, and to consult with Panama concerning removal of such 
> hazards. (Art. IV, Implementation Agreement for Art. IV, Panama Canal 
> Treaty)
> 
> The United States has devoted considerable attention and resources 
> to helping Panama develop a democratic government, professionalize its 
> police force, and protect the Canal's watershed. We believe these are 
> important needs, but to date U.S. policy has not adequately addressed the 
> legacy of toxic and dangerous substances left by many decades of military 
> activity in Panama. 
> 
> We are concerned about the legacy of hazardous substances on U.S. 
> facilities in Panama in three respects. First, information requested by 
> the Panamanian government through official channels has not been turned 
> over. Panama needs access to information that characterizes the problem 
> in order to consult constructively with the United States about possible 
> remedies. Second, the efficient operation of the Canal depends on a 
> healthy economy, which in turn requires development of the military areas 
> on the banks of the Canal which are being transferred to Panama. 
> Investment in these areas will be slow or stymied if they present dangers 
> to the environment or to health of residents and employees. Third, 
> relations between the two countries will be mortgaged if future 
> generations of Panamanians find their health and safety compromised by 
> what we left behind.
> 
> In addition, there has been unilateral allocation of resources by the 
> Department of Defense for site characterization and a biodiversity 
> assessment conducted without consultation with Panama on its 
> environmental priorities.
> 
> Unexploded ordnance (UXO) used on firing ranges in Panama has led to 
> accidental injuries and even deaths to children playing and peasants 
> seeking to recycle metal on the ranges. During Operation Secure Refuge 
> for Cuban boat people, a U.S. soldier suffered injuries to his hands and 
> abdomen after an accidental explosion of UXO.
> 
> The fuel storage facility at Howard Air Base, with a capacity 
> exceeding a billion barrels, has a history of leaks into the soil, including 
> a 
> 109,000 gallon spill of jet fuel on January 17 of this year, of which only 
> 70% was recovered. 
> 
> The FOR obtained lists of documents from the Navy, Air Force and 
> Army that reference dozens of environmental audits of U.S. facilities in 
> Panama. (Navy list attached) The Panamanian government, although it had 
> requested copies of all relevant documents for DoD facilities from its 
> counterpart on the Joint Committee established by the Canal Treaty, had 
> no knowledge of these documents until the FOR supplied a copy of the list. 
> 
> Panama's economy and future political stability depend on taking 
> advantage of the canal areas in ways that provide social benefit and 
> investor confidence. Fulfillment of these goals, as well as continuing 
> Panamanian confidence in the United States' commitment to its Treaty 
> obligations, require accepting responsibility for removal of both imminent 
> and long-term dangers to human health and safety. "Without a formal 
> commitment by the United States to adequately clean up those lands it 
> will be difficult to find investors willing to assume the risks," according 
> to Fernando Manfredo, Jr., a leading figure in the consortium producing the 
> master plan for transferring properties. In addition, for successful 
> remediation, the involvement of affected local communities and non-
> governmental groups in the decision-making process is critical.
> 
> In your deliberations on this issue and the process of Treaty 
> implementation generally, we respectfully ask you to ensure the following 
> steps are taken:
> 
> 1. Full and timely release to Panama of available information pertaining to 
> hazardous substances and environmental conditions on U.S. defense 
> properties in Panama.
> 
> 2. Comprehensive environmental baseline assessments by independent and 
> competent experts for each installation, as is done at domestic bases.
> 
> 3. In the spirit of Article VI of the Canal Treaty, assistance to help build 
> Panama's technical capacity for overseeing the environmental provisions 
> of the Canal Treaty and dealing with the long-term implications of the 
> contamination problems. 
> 
> 4. Where hazards to human health and safety are found to be present, 
> removal or remediation of the dangerous substances.
> 
> As the United States and Panama enter a new relationship, the 
> decisions we make now will be precursors and the basis for what we can 
> expect after the year 2000. We hope those relations will be collaborative 
> in finding solutions to the considerable practical challenges which our 
> nations face. By fully complying with the Treaties' provision for clean-up 
> and openly disclosing information to the Panamanian government, we will 
> leave a positive legacy and establish a model for our military drawdowns 
> in other host nations.
> 
> Mr. President, we respectfully urge you to publicy acknowledge these 
> issues following your meeting next week with President Ernesto Perez 
> Balladares. We would also like to meet with you to discuss this important 
> issue and possible remedies. I look forward to a timely response.
> 
> On behalf of the undersigned group, I am yours sincerely,
> 
> 
> Jo Becker
> Executive Director, FOR
> 
> end
> 

Paul R. Bloom Phone: 612-625-4711
Department of Soil,Water, and Climate Fax: 612-625-2208
University of Minnesota e-mail: pbloom@soils.umn.edu
1991 Upper Buford Circle
St.Paul MN 55108