From: | Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@igc.org> |
Date: | Wed, 03 Apr 1996 11:29:34 -0800 (PST) |
Reply: | cpeo-military |
Subject: | Congressional Briefing on FFERDC Final Report |
From: Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@igc.org> Subject: Congressional Briefing on FFERDC Final Report The following letter was sent out by CAREER/PRO to our data base of RAB members. We feel that it will be of interest to participants of the cpro.military conference as well. ***************** April 2, 1996 Dear RAB Member, On Monday April 15, 1996 the FFERDC, an influential, multi-stakeholder federal advisory group, will be holding Congressional Briefings on the newly released Final Report of the Federal Facilities Environmental Restoration Dialogue Committee (FFERDC). The House briefing will take place from 2pm to 3:30pm in Room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building and the Senate briefing will be held from 4pm to 5pm in Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. We are writing you in advance so that you may have the opportunity to contact your Congressional representatives (both Senate and House members) and request they have a staff member attend this briefing. This report, like its February 1993 predecessor, The Interim Report, addresses the milti-faceted and complex issues that confront those involved in the cleanup of federal facilites. The Interim Rport called for the formation of advisory boards at federal facilities in order to ensure meaningful public participation in environmental cleanup decisions. Since the that time over 250 have been established and the RAB you serve on is a direct result of the recommendations made in 1993. The new FFERDC report builds on the 1993 document, urging that key decisions in federal cleanup programs, such as the allocation of budget shortfalls, be based upon extensive, up-front consultation with public stakeholders--that is, members of RABs--as well as regulatory agencies. High level officials at the Defense Department, the armed services, EPA, and other federal agencies, as well as representatives of states, tribes, and local governments, have signed on to this report, so we expect its key recommendations to be implemented widely. Significant features of the FFERDC approach--particularly the need for stable funding--require Congressional support. In fact, it's important that Congress know that representatives of all parties involved in federal faciliteis cleanup have been working together to improve the cleanup decision-making process. In addition to this Congressional Staff Briefing, FFERDC will be traveling to different regions in the country and holding implementation workshops on this report. It is anticipated this will begin in the late spring. We will inform you when one is scheduled for your area. The role of community RAB members is the lynchpin of the federal facilities cleanup process; members such as yourself have helped to reshape and redefine the process of participatory government. Again, join us in requesting the attendence of Congressional staff at these April 15th briefings. Your letter, fax, phone call, or E-mail will also remind your Representative or Senator that military base cleanup is an issue back home and that your community, like hundreds of others, is working to see that it is done right. For your input to go directly to your representatives, we suggest you contact staff offices in Washington, DC. If your are unsure of the addresses, phone, fax, or E-mail for your representatives, please feel free to contact us and we will provide you with this information. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work. Sincerley, Lenny Siegel Aimee R. Houghton Project Director Program Associate | |
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