[CPEO-MEF] Vieques vote delayed

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

The Navy has reportedly postponed the referendum on the future of the
Atlantic Training Range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. Until
recently, it appeared that Navy's statutory obligation to arrange a vote
by Vieques municipality voters would be met by an election scheduled for
November 6, 2001. Sample ballots had been published, and educational
campaigns were underway.

On October 25, 2001, however, Navy Secretary England sent a letter to
Puerto Rican Governor Calderon announcing that the Navy had decided to
delay the vote until January 25, 2002. He explained that the delay would
give Congress the opportunity to resolve questions over the range's
future. The postponement is legal: Last year's Defense Authorization Act
gave the Navy wide latitude in setting the date. 

However, it's also likely to upset many people in Puerto Rico and
increase their distrust of the federal government. I remember being in
Puerto Rico in April, just before the transfer of the Naval Ammunition
Support Detachment on the west side of Vieques. Less than a week before
the transfer occurred, local residents did not believe that it would
take place, even though it was mandated by federal law. Once the Navy
announced the November election date, people believed that too was
mandated by law.

More important, Congress still has to decide the Vieques Range's future.
It seemed to resolve it last year, with provisions in the Defense Act
that promised closure of the range, by May, 2003, if local voters
opposed its continued operations. Since then, however, the Bush
Administration has decided to close the range by that date, proposing to
cancel the referendum. It has established a panel to come up with
options - possibly at several existing facilities - to conduct the
training historically conducted on Vieques.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives included language in its version
of this year's Defense bill that would cancel the referendum but forbid
the Navy to shut down training on Vieques unless it first finds an equal
or superior single training site. I believe the House also passed a
provision requiring that the Navy retain ownership of the range for use
in a national emergency, even if training is halted.

The Senate, despite proposals by a couple of Senators, decided to leave
last year's legislation intact. As a result, representatives of both
Armed Services Committees are meeting in conference committee to resolve
the differences between the Senate and House bills. Conceivably, in
today's "national security" climate, Congress could pass legislation
requiring continued training on Vieques. Or it could mandate closure
with or without a referendum. Or it could simply leave the range's
future in the hands of the President.

Proponents on continued training on Vieques say the range is essential
to military readiness, but the island is only barely relevant to current
and future campaigns in landlocked Afghanistan. Meanwhile, it's unlikely
that any decision to continue training without giving Viequenses a
chance to vote will fan the flames of protest. That is, even if Congress
takes action that seems to perpetuate training there, the issue will not
go away.


-- 


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: 650/961-8918
lsiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org

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