"REFORM" AND DEVOLVEMENT

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

THE DEFENSE REFORM INITIATIVE AND THE DEVOLVEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
SECURITY

Pentagon Environmental Security programs are beginning to feel the
impact of Secretary Cohen's initiative to downsize the Office of the
Secretary of Defense. It's too soon to know the full impact of these
changes on cleanup, environmental technology, and other programs, but
it's clear that Defense Department "organizational" decisions are likely
to affect external stakeholders who rely upon those programs.

Last November 10, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen announced the
Defense Reform Initiative, a plan to reform the "business" of the U.S.
military by reengineering, consolidating organizations, competing
functions, and elminating excess infrastructure. Under the
consolidation "pillar" of the initiative, the staff of the Office of the
Secretary of Defense - in essence, that part of the Defense Department
that does not belong to the armed services - will be reduced by one
third over an eighteen month period. The Initiative report, "Leading
Change in a New Era," recommends numerous organizational changes, but it
makes no specific recommendations for environmental security.

It appears, however, that the Environmental Security office, which is
part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, is being asked to share
the pain. Thus far, at least 11 positions and their functions are being
transferred to the Army, though it's not clear yet where they will land.
More changes may come later. Among the changes, one of the Cleanup
office staffers responsible for relations with Restoration Advisory
Boards, including the still to be implemented TAPP (Technical Assistance
for Public Participation) program, is being shifted.

Some of the changes may have relatively little impact outside the
Pentagon, but the TAPP program, as well as possibly some of the other
functions, belongs at the Environmental Security office, for at least
four reasons: 1) It is a program that deals primarily with external
stakeholders. 2) It is supposed to serve stakeholders at facilities
owned by all of the Armed Services. 3) The program has not yet been
implemented; the TAPP rule is still under review.And 4) Devolvement may
make it more difficult to keep the staff position funded.

Environmental Security is unlike most other Defense Secretariat Programs
in that it directly serves the American public at large. Other
Secretariat offices support the armed services and their national
security mission. It makes sense to have a centralized, visible location
where neighbors of military bases and environmental regulators can go
for answers. At the very least, organizational changes at the Pentagon
that impact its relationship with external environmental stakeholders
should be made in consultation with those stakeholders.

The Cleanup program and the Environmental Security office as a whole are
far from perfect, but over the past several years they have spearheaded
efforts to partner with communities and regulatory agencies. Any
significant change in those offices has the potential to undermine those
partnerships.

Lenny Siegel
Director, SFSU CAREER/PRO (and Pacific Studies Center)
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org