Re: Fort Ordnance

["Laura Olah" <olah@speagle.com>]

Good work, Lenny. As I have not seen the document you reviewed, I'm 
understandably limited in this regard, however, here are my comments. 
Laura

If it was ME, I would use this as an opportunity to bring attention to 
the following: 

1) Active and VALID public participation early in process. For example: 
The 4 objectives of cleanup you outlined are clear to you and me, but 
are -- in the real world -- very subjective. Specifically: "protection" 
of human health and "maximizing" potential future use could mean one 
thing to the military and quite another to the community. Clean to me, 
for example, means absent of contamination; to the military and other 
chemical industries, it often means a calculated level of "acceptable" 
risk or residual contamination -- well, you get the idea.

2) Pollution Prevention. I understand Fort Ord is still active, i.e. 
bombing, shooting, training, etc. Given the apparent lack of effective 
technologies (i.e. technologies to restore the site to its former 
state)-- I would recommend FO simultaneously and actively implement 
pollution prevention practices; I'd suggest shutting them down 
altogether (no surprise there), but given the reality of our world I 
suppose one could suggest the obvious: practice ordnance instead of 
live, etc.

3) Accountability. I would make sure my response was VERY clear re: 
Institutional controls. They are a tool, not cleanup; an interim 
response, not a final solution. Unless and until the military is held 
accountable in this regard, just as any other industry is 
supposedly accountable, the military has little incentive to change, 
improve, or evolve. 

4) Overall, your comments and observations are very good. Suggestions 
such as alternative technologies and a comprehensive rather than linear 
approach to cleanup are well articulated. 

Laura Olah, Executive Director 
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger
E12629 Weigand's Bay South
Merrimac, Wisconsin 53561
olah@speagle.com
Phone (608)643-3124 Fax (608)643-0005
Website http://www.speagle.com/cswab