[CPEO-MEF] HASC May Try to Reverse Exisitng Language on Vieques

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

This past Sunday residents of Vieques voted overwhelmingly in favor of
the Navy leaving their island immediately.  The non-binding
referendum gave the citizens three options: 1) that the Navy leave in May
of 2003; 2) that the Navy cease bombing and leave immediately; and 3)
that the Navy continue to use the island indefinitely.

Option #2 won with 68% of the vote.  Option #3 garnered 30% and
option #1 roughly 2%.  This referendum is non-binding and does not
take the place of the referendum scheduled for November that is mandated
by legislation passed last year.  

In the November referendum there will be only two choices: 1) The Navy
must leave by May 2003, and 2) the Navy can continue to use the island to
train indefinitely.  If the citizens allow the Navy to stay there is
quite a substantial economic incentive built in.  If the citizens
vote for the Navy to leave virtually all of Camp Garcia (the area where
the live impact area is located) will be turned over to the Department of
the Interior with the proviso that DOI may never transfer the 
lands.

At the moment all of this is may be turned upside down if rumors on
Capitol Hill prove to be true.  CPEO has learned that there could be
language in the Defense bill markup that (1) effectively repeals the
November referendum; (2) states that the Navy may not close the range or
leave Vieques until it has an equal or superior site, and (3) states that
if the Navy ever does leave Vieques, it must retain administrative
jurisdiction over the land in case of later emergency need to use the
range. 

We have also heard that the members of the Hispanic Caucus are supporting
an amendment to strike the language.

The Senate will, of course, have its own bill and the two
will have to be reconciled in conference.

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Aimee R. Houghton                                 

Associate Director, CPEO

122 C Street NW, Suite 700

Washington, DC  20001-2109

tel: 202-662-1888; fax: 202-628-1825

Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org

www.cpeo.org

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