Who's On Board the Public's Ship?

[tokey@igc.org]

From: Thomas Okey <tokey@thecity.sfsu.edu>

On May 14, a press conference was held in Alameda, California by 
Clearwater Revival Company regarding a review conducted by the company's 
principal engineer, Mr. Patrick Lynch (CRC 1996). The review was critical 
of the remedial activities and decisions regarding Naval Air Station, 
Alameda's Site 15--one of the first of NAS Alameda's 23 sites slated for 
completion. The CRC report is well documented and it contains legitimate 
criticisms, recommendations for improved cleanup, and improved decision 
making processes for the remainder of the sites at NAS Alameda. Mr.
Lynch conducted this review pro bono as a service to his community and 
his country. As a member of the Restoration Advisory Board for NAS Alameda, 
I am pleased and energized whenever qualified professionals and concerned 
members of the public dedicate so much effort and time to help the Department 
of Defense solve the myriad problems relating to the sometimes substantial 
environmental contamination that characterize its closing bases. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Lynch has not been universally met with gratitude, 
professional courtesy, or a widespread willingness to focus on the technical 
issues in his report. Instead, judging from a May 17-20 article in the Alameda
Journal, it appears that the California Environmental Protection Agency's 
Department of Toxic Substances Control has joined the Navy's public relations 
staff in taking aim on the professional and personal credibility of Mr. 
Lynch and two RAB members (myself included; I was invited to this press 
conference to provide the public with information about my ongoing research 
on bio-transport of PCB's from sediment to fishes in San Francisco Bay).

According to the Journal Article, a spokesman for the Department of Toxic 
Substances Control effectively accused the press conference participants 
of using scare tactics and leapfrogging the Restoration Advisory Board. 
At the very least, I hope this spokesman's first accusation was not a 
reference to the scholarly work that was conducted by Mr. Lynch in his 
analysis of key decisions at Site 15. With respect to the latter accusation, 
I hope that this spokesman was not implying that any member of the public 
who does independent research about a contaminated site is somehow 
obligated to go through the Navy's Restoration Advisory Board. 
Such an expectation is not only bureaucratic elitism, but it is also 
erroneous. 

Perhaps Mr. Lynch correctly perceived that NAS Alameda's RAB is somewhat 
contrived. In fact, Mr. Lynch did approach, discuss, and correspond with 
several involved parties including the Navy's community co-chair, involved 
regulators, and community RAB members. But it doesn't matter whether or 
not Mr. Lynch chose to follow some defined RAB process 
for input. The RAB is one of many avenues for public education and input, 
and as an individual citizen he is free to contact the media whenever he
chooses. I am disappointed in the remarks of this DTSC spokesman. 
Fortunately, this sentiment does not pervade the entire department. 
DTSC's project manager for NAS Alameda, Mr. Tom Lanphar, has studied 
Mr. Lynch's analysis and recognizes his constructive criticisms and 
recommendations as legitimate. I am confident that Mr. Lanphar welcomes 
this input as a crucial part of the decision making process.

If there are any more spokespeople out there for the DTSC and the Navy, 
and I'm sure there are, would you please share with us your viewpoints 
on public participation? Also, would you please clarify yourselves in 
the Alameda and Bay Area newspapers? Perhaps you could use the opportunity 
to solicit more public participation to bolster the dismal public turnout 
at NAS Alameda RAB meetings (for which I share some responsibility).

Only by cooperating with each other and working as a team can we make 
progress in trying to ensure a safe and healthy future in communities 
and regions that are now faced with the DoD's legacy of contamination. 
I would like to know if the DoD and the DTSC are on board the public's ship.

Thomas A. Okey
Executive Director / Marine Ecologist
Chair, Natural Resources Focus Group, RAB, NAS Alameda