DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT (HOUSE VERSION)

With all the attention being paid to the environmental provisions of 
the Defense Reform Act, we haven't said anything about the Defense 
Authorization Act, which is the House is expected to begin voting on 
this Thursday, June 19. Perhaps that's because this bill, which must be 
enacted to keep the Pentagon in operation next year, contains no 
environmental surprises.

The National Security Committee is recommending that the House 
authorize for appropriation the environmental restoration budgets 
requested by the armed services. These are the same figures that we 
posted earlier this year for active and former (not closing) bases.

Army $377,337,000
Navy $277,500,000
Air Force $378,900,000
Defense-wide $27,900,000
Formerly Used Defense Sites $202,300,000

TOTAL $1,263,937,000

In addition, the bill includes $10,000,000 for the Kaho'olawe Island 
Conveyance, Remediation, and Environmental Restoration Trust Fund.

The bill expands the authority of the Defense Department (DOD) to enter 
into environmental technology certification agreements with Indian 
tribes. Now that authority only covers state local government. It also 
provides for partnerships with the private sector for the demonstration 
of innovative technology. (See additional posting.)

Furthermore, the House bill would authorize $100,000,000, to be paid 
over 10 years, to cover the cleanup of former U.S. defense facilities 
in Canada, implementing an October, 1996 agreement with Canada.

The Committee Report accompanying the bill contains language urging the 
timely cleanup of both Air Force Plant No. 3 (Tulsa, Oklahoma) and the 
Washington (D.C.) Navy Yard. It directs DOD to "undertake an initiative 
involving policy-makers with scientific, industry and community leaders 
involved in the remediation field, to identify opportunities for more 
efficient cleanup ..." (This makes sense, but I'm not sure how it would 
differ from initiatives already under way.) Finally, it endorses the 
move toward performance-based contracting, but it directs DOD to 
develop a standard definition of the concept . It also calls up DOD to 
work with EPA "to identify and reduce or eliminate regulatory barriers 
to the use of performance-based contracts or other outcome-oriented 
approaches to environmental cleanup."

Lenny Siegel