[CPEO-MEF] Camp Bonneville re-start

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[From the office of Congressman Brian Baird (D-Washington)]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 17 April 2001

Baird Revives Effort to Clean-Up Camp Bonneville

Vancouver, WA - U.S. Congressman Brian Baird announced today that
progress has been made toward reaching an agreement on the eventual
cleanup of Camp Bonneville. After reports that the U.S. Army was
suspending efforts to locate and remove unexploded ordinance (UXO) at
the former training camp, Baird convened a meeting on Monday to discuss
the situation. 

"The meeting brought people together to see where we are, what the
challenges are before us, and where we go from here," said Baird. "I am
pleased that all the parties involved have agreed to get this process
moving again, and I look forward to getting the scientific information
that will let people know where the risks are, how we can deal with them
safely, and how this beautiful area can eventually be used by the public."

The U.S. Army agreed in the meeting to fund the next phase in the
process, referred to as a site characterization, which will give a
clearer picture of where dangerous munitions may still exist on Camp
Bonneville property and where it may begin using the grounds for other activities.

Camp Bonneville, which was used as a military training site beginning in
1911, was closed in 1995 under the federal government's Base Realignment
and Closure (BRAC) process. Since its closure, plans had been underway
to transfer the land to Clark County for use as a public park and open
space. Those plans were put on hold until the problem of the UXO could
be resolved. Initial examinations of the property found the hazard to be
greater in certain areas than in others, but environmental regulatory
agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington
State Department of Ecology, expressed concerns about public safety and
required greater precision in identifying where hazards actually exist. 

During their meeting with Baird, representatives of the Army presented
plans for a new, more detailed survey of the area. Although the details
remain to be worked out, EPA and DOE agreed in principle with the design
and pledged to meet soon with the Army to review the completed plan.

"This step is absolutely critical to the process," Baird said. "We need
to know just where we might find problems so we can know what the next
steps in clean-up can be. Moving forward without that information could
be incredibly costly and potentially dangerous to the public."

Also present at Monday's meeting were Clark County Commissioner Judy
Stanton, Clark County Administrator Bill Barron, Brigadier General Lee
Logowik from the National Guard, and representatives from the offices of
U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. 

While studies of the UXO move forward, the Army, local officials, and
the National Guard agreed in the same meeting to discuss various options
for future uses of Camp Bonneville. One avenue that is being explored
involves a "phased in" usage plan, with areas posing the least potential
hazard being cleared first and available for public use, while areas of
greater hazard remain off limits until resources are available for
cleanup. 

Baird praised the Army, the regulatory agencies, the county and citizen
groups for their involvement and willingness to work together. 

"This is going to take some time to solve, but I am confident that with
the continued commitment of the Army and the local community, we can
keep the process going. We'd probably all like to have the land turned
into a park tomorrow if we could, but when there is a risk to public
safety, we have to be cautious and methodical at every step along the
way. The important thing now is that we are moving forward again, the
Army has a plan for site characterization that looks likely to pass
muster of the various agencies, and we are refining a vision for how we
might be able to use the area again on a phased in basis," concluded Baird.

Baird will tour of Camp Bonneville along with Oregon Congressman Earl
Blumenauer this Friday (20 April).  Blumenauer has expressed interest in
the nationwide problem of unexploded ordinance and is visiting Camp
Bonneville to learn more about how that problem is being addressed here.

###

Anne Linskey Press Secretary Rep. Brian Baird

Tel: (202) 225-3536 Fax: (202) 225-3478 www.house.gov/baird 

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
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
http://www.cpeo.org

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