[CPEO-MEF] Badger Army Ammunition Plant-Badger Environmental Board of Advisors

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 28, 2000

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Dave Fordham, Badger Army 
Ammunition Plant, (608) 356-5525, or Gale Smith, HQ OSC Public Affairs 
at (309) 782-7746. 

Badger Environmental Board Goes Their Own Way

BARABOO, Wis.- Officials from Badger Army Ammunition Plant's higher 
headquarters met last night with the Badger Environmental  Board of 
Advisors (BEBA).  The major focus of the meeting was to address the 
differences between the Federal Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) 
Guidelines and the way this board wants to operate.

The important differences between the BEBA and the RABs are:  assuring 
that the full diversity of the community is represented on the board, 
focusing the board efforts solely on environmental cleanup issues, 
requiring that all members have an equal voice, and having Army and 
community co-chairs instead of one community chair.

After hearing from the Army Operations Support Command, and the Army 
Center for Health Promotion and  Preventative Medicine, the BEBA voted 
not to adopt the Federal guidelines.

"We were disappointed that the BEBA chose this alternative.," said David 
Fordham, Army Installation Director.  "We are still hopeful they may 
reconsider that decision. The Army has made it clear to me that it will 
not continue to support a board that does not conform to Federal 
guidelines, " Fordham said. "That support consists of administrative 
support, training, paying for contractors to come explain proposals and 
cleanup progress, and providing Technical Assistance for Public 
Participation (TAPP) grants for independent technical reviews of the 
environmental cleanup program."

Members of the BEBA have provided advice to the Army and the regulatory 
agencies since the board was formed in 1993.  At that time the 
Department of Army and Department of Defense were still developing RAB 
guidelines.  Badger formed the BEBA as a "pilot" effort using the same 
basic principles, but with some significant differences.  Over time the 
Department of Defense has established over 200 RABs, with Badger now the 
only environmental board of advisors that does not conform to the 
current Federal guidelines.

The Army says it is committed to its responsibility of providing 
meaningful public participation opportunities, and that it recognizes 
the important perspective that community stakeholders bring to the 
cleanup discussion. At the same time the Army has an obligation to 
follow all pertinent Federal and state guidelines.  The Army is still 
hopeful the BEBA will decide to become a full partner within the Federal 
guidelines, but is determined that if the BEBA will not, then it will 
initiate steps to form a Restoration Advisory Board that will allow full 
partnership.

- 30 -

Operations Support Command (OSC) leads the Revolution in Military 
Logistics by providing a synchronized face to warfighters through 
centralized control over Army Materiel Command forward elements, serves 
as the Defense Department's single manager for conventional ammunition, 
and manages the Army's arsenals and ammunition storage and production 
sites.  OSC is headquartered on historic Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.


Public Affairs Team			Phone: 309/782-5421
Fax: 309/782-5011			Rock Island, IL 61299

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