BASE CLOSURE CLEANUP FUNDING

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

BASE CLOSURE CLEANUP FUNDING

As far as I can tell, funding for base closure cleanup will not only 
survive this legislative season, but it will come in at greater levels 
than anticipated. Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) cleanup funding 
is contained in the Military Construction Appropriations Act, and the 
President is expected to sign that bill soon. I have conflicting 
reports in hand, so the following summary is subject to change.

Congress has appropriated $562.5 million, the Senate level (instead of 
the $457 million requested by the President) for cleanup at bases 
closed or reduced by previous closure rounds. And instead of imposing 
that figure as an absolute ceiling - which both House did in their 
bills - the final legislation allows the Secretary of Defense to raise 
the ceiling with justification.

Furthermore, the bill allows money from the BRAC IV (1995 Round) 
account, previously designated for other activities related to closure 

and reassignment of units, to be used for environmental studies at the 
BRAC IV bases. In essence, the military can draw on that account as 
much as it needs to funds environmental baseline surveys, environmental 
impact studies, and cleanup-related studies. Only "dirt-moving" still 
has to come from the Defense Environmental Restoration Account this year.

In taking these actions, as well as inserting language into the Defense 
Appropriations Conference Report, Congress has made it clear that base 
closure cleanup - necessary for redevelopment or other forms of reuse - 
remains a high priority.

However, appropriations still significantly lag requirements that 
military cleanup officials - such as BRAC Environmental Coordinators - 
are developing in the field.

Lenny