Military Lands Withdrawal AK

[Pam Miller <pkmiller@akaction.net>]

Dear Readers of the CPEO List:
I am enclosing a letter that Alaska Community Action on Toxics sent to
Senators Murkowski and Stevens concerning the Military Lands Withdrawal
Act. Please provide any support or suggestions that you may have. As the
letter implies, the bombing on Alaska's vast weapons ranges has wreaked
havoc! We need your help in preventing further damage. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Pamela Miller

August 5, 1999

Senator Frank Murkowski
United States Senate

Dear Senator Murkowski :

The Military Lands Withdrawal Act currently under consideration in
Congress has grave and long-term consequences for environmental and human
health/safety for approximately 1,300 square miles of public domain lands
currently used by the Department of the Army in Interior Alaska. Alaska
Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) provided comments in February 1999 on the
Draft Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS)—Alaska Army Lands
Withdrawal Renewal. We request that you take action now to prevent further
damage to the lands and waters currently under consideration for an
extension on the withdrawal. 

ACAT opposed the withdrawal in our comments on the LEIS. We maintain that
the Army has already severely damaged lands and waters within the weapons
ranges. The Army lacks a comprehensive understanding of the extensive
physical and ecological impacts, toxicological and safety hazards to
surface waters and groundwater. Further, the Army has no plan for
characterization and restoration of the ranges associated with Fort Greely
and Fort Wainwright. With Fort Greely scheduled for closure under BRAC and
Fort Wainwright listed on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) as a
Superfund site, the Army cannot justify the further damage that would incur
from additional weapons testing. Ordnance must be treated as a hazardous
waste that presents both safety and toxicological hazards. These hazards
present unacceptable risks to humans, especially subsistence fishers and
hunters. 

If the legislation progresses, we ask that you ensure that the Bureau of
Land Management retain resource management authority and adequate funding
for sound management of these lands. Limit the withdrawal extension to ten
years or less and institute a public review and oversight committee to
protect natural and cultural resources. Direct the Army to establish buffer
zones to prevent damage to sensitive riparian and other ecologically
important habitat areas. Request an investigative report on the military
use of chemical, biological, and depleted uranium munitions within these
ranges. Direct the BLM and appropriate funding to conduct a comprehensive
environmental assessment of the impacts of weapons testing on these ranges
to the physical environment, ecology, surface and groundwater quality,
cultural resources and tribes.

Thank you for your careful consideration of this letter.

Sincerely,

Pamela K. Miller, Program Director

cc	Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt
Governor Tony Knowles

Pamela K. Miller
Program Director
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
135 Christensen Drive, Suite 100
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
web site: http://www.akaction.net