Fort Ord RAB & the Concur Inc. Final Report

[OrdToxics@aol.com]

_To: schechter.debbie@epa.gov (Debbie Schechter),
     cooper.viola@epamail.epa.gov (Viola Cooper)

Ms. Viola Cooper
Community Relations Coordinator
US EPA, Region 9

_Cc: Fort Ord RAB Members

_Subject: Fort Ord Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) Final Report - Concur,
Inc.

Dear Viola Cooper:

I would like to receive a copy of Concur, Inc.'s Fort Ord RAB Final Report
(1999) which I believe contain the results of the Concur facilitation
team's effort in attempting to work through the many problems between the
Army's Fort Ord RAB management and Fort Ord RAB Community Members, along
with other local residents.

I have read the Army's and EPA's letters to us, as RAB Community Members.

I understand the Army's viewpoint, even though I DO NOT AGREE with COL.  
Dawson's actions and dispute his conclusions in support of disbanding the
Fort Ord RAB.  Again, I want to point out that an Installation Commander
does not have the authority to unilaterally disband a Restoration Advisory
Board, nor does either of the regulatory agencies.

Additionally, I am shocked US-EPA, Region 9, has allowed the Army to
disbanding the Fort Ord RAB ... while 15 local residents are applying to
become RAB Community Members and have RAB applications pending ...  I find
this deeply disturbing, especially in light of the EPA's involvement and
commitment to the KEYSTONE Dialogues and the resulting KEYSTONE Document
(FFERDC Report)!

The Army's resulting process at Fort Ord is now a terrible mess with the
Army devoting much of its time to rehearsals for the BCT, Army's staff and
contractors.  The Public Meeting Agendas are failing to address the issues
of local residents, and the BCT (Army & regulatory agencies) is unable to
cope with the disconnect between the public's desire to effect the
restoration of the Army Base and the information and time available to
address residents issues.

Additionally, during this ongoing public participation fiasco, the Army is
attempting to conduct some other alternative, yet undefined "community
involvement process" without its legally required Community Relations Plan
(CRP), as it is seven years out of date!

The only reason the Army has had to slow its land transfers and "interim
actions" is not because they are voluntarily responding to our communities
concerns, is because of the lawsuits brought by local citizens, who have
continuously made their concerns known through the RAB process at Fort Ord
(1993-1999).

So ... the question is, what do we do now, since the Army's "Fort Ord RAB
Disbandment"?

1.  Do we (disbanded RAB members & disenfranchised public) sue in court
for a RAB?
2.  Do we sit by while Army dumps toxic, contaminated land on us, and wait 
for the regulatory agencies to act in our behalf?    
3.  Do we sit on our hands while the Army makes halfhearted attempts at 
rewriting its CRP, which they have failed to do seven times, over the past 
seven years? 
4.  Do we ... ... ?

Please provide me and other RAB Community Members with a copy of Concur's
final report, findings and recommendations?  Please send me a copy of the
final report and associated materials.

I would like to see what it is that Concur's final report actually
documents. I am especially interested since the CONCUR process was ended
so abruptly, and without any attempt at implementing any portion of the
agreements and progress that CONCUR was able to achieve.

I am still trying to understand who (agencies and individuals) made the
decision(s), and how (by what process) it was determined that to divert
the EPA's ongoing "CONCUR PROCESS" (at the eleventh hour) in to a
disbanding of the Fort Ord RAB was something in the best interest of the
residents and local communities surrounding the Fort Ord Superfund Site.

If you can shed any light on this very mysterious process and resulting
decisions please do.

Respectfully, 
Curt Gandy
Fort Ord RAB Member &
Executive Director
Fort Ord Toxics Project