DOD ENVIRONMENTAL BUDGET - FY 97 -Reply

[INGOGLIM@hqpacaf.af.mil]

From: "J.Mark Ingoglia" <INGOGLIM@hqpacaf.af.mil>
Subject: DOD ENVIRONMENTAL BUDGET - FY 97 -Reply

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DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR FY '97
 The Department of Defense Environmental Security Office yesterday 
briefed the press on its proposed FY1997 budget, $4.7 billion out of a 
total proposed Defense budget of $251.9 billion, or just under 1.9%. The
figures, which are still being presented as estimates, are:
 Compliance $1,986,000,000
Cleanup (active and former bases) $1,333,000,000
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)-environmental $775,000,000
Pollution Prevention $309,000,000
Technology $204,000,000
Conservation $111,000,000
 TOTAL 4,718,000,000
 The combined base closure and cleanup budget total, $2,108,000,000,
is up 7 percent from the final 1996 appropriation of $1,976,500,000, but 
it is slightly lower than expected. For the first time, base closure cleanup
represents more than one third of the total cleanup program, at nearly 37
percent. There are two chief reasons: 1) Base closure cleanup has
support from conservative economic interests, as well as 
"environmental" interests; 2) The BRAC '95 list of closures moved 
several large cleanup programs, such as McClellan Air Force Base 
(California), the Letterkenny Army Depot (Pennsylvania), Kelly Air Force
Base (Texas), and the Savanna Depot Activity (Illinois) into the BRAC
account.
 Is the Defense proposal enough? On the one hand, it appears high
enough to maintain a credible program, if procedures are fully
implemented to re-sequence projects based upon priorities established
in cooperation with regulatory agencies and public stakeholders. On the
other hand, base environmental officials are telling local communities that
there isn't enough money to carry out planned activities. At active
bases, delaying low priority projects is sometimes an appropriate
response, but at BRAC bases where property is scheduled for transfer
or reuse, delays increase economic hardship.
 I would be interested in hearing from readers: To what degree have 
cleanup budget constraints limited planned investigation or remediation 
projects at military bases in your area?

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DERA is adequately funded. I is probably best to fund consistently and
moderately. Too much funijng is wasteful. Environmental restoration is a
new science and things are just beginning to become standardized. 
Slow and steady is the best path. mi