RE: Report on the UXO Focus Group

["Panichello, Janice" <Janice.Davin@co.clark.wa.us>]

I didn't get the impression from the "activists" at the meeting that our
duty is to "prove them (Defense officials) wrong."  The goal instead is to
function in a role similar to the media, as a watchdog asking lots of
questions and having access to information that provides adequate
understanding of the issues that will lead to decisions that will have
significant affect on the public long after the military has completed
their cleanup and transfer (or transfer and cleanup?).  I work for a
county as the LRA coordinator, and I encourage the public that, no matter
how much they might trust me personally, they should never lose sight that
their role is to keep asking questions to make sure the government I
represent is making decisions that work for their benefit.

The purpose of closing bases is to save money and transfer as quickly as
possible while meeting any regulatory requirements they have to meet.  
They also have the option to transfer "dirty" property to be cleaned at a
later date.  Some communities have pressure to create jobs and foster
economic development...quickly.  In other cases, communities have veiled
threats from the military that they might just have to lock the gates and
leave the contamination there forever...unless a transfer agreement (not
acceptable safety-wise) can be reached.  We need activists to make sure
deadly compromises are not reached in the name of economic development or
out of fear that it's better to get a tiny amount of safety instead of
nothing at all.