[CPEO-MEF] Vieques legislation

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

The following summary of the Vieques provisions in the Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2002, as reported by Conference
Committee, is from a December 12, 2001 House Armed Services Committee
press release available at
http://www.house.gov/hasc/pressreleases/2001/01-12-12confsummary.html

"The Vieques training range provides an irreplaceable training facility
for U.S. military forces, who have used its unique combination of live
fire areas, aerial bombardment ranges, and amphibious landing beaches to
reach high levels of readiness in preparation for nearly every conflict
since World War II. As such, the conferees included legislation to: 

cancel the referendum currently planned for January 2002;

authorize the Secretary of the Navy to close the training facilities at
Vieques only after certifying that a training site or sites will be
available to provide an equivalent or superior level of training
compared to Vieques if training facilities at the island are closed. In
making the certification, the Secretary must consider the
recommendations of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of
the Marine Corps on this question; and

transfer the military training areas at Vieques to the Department of the
Interior, if the Secretary of the Navy closes the Vieques facilities."

***

Though this language overturns the arrangement President Clinton made
with Puerto Rican leaders in early 2000, it still leaves the decision on
the island range's future in the hands of President Bush. He still can
implement his promise, made before September 11, to close the
bombing/gunnery range there by May, 2003. The Navy has a working group
seeking alternative training sites.

The Conference language, as reported in the press release, appears to be
more flexible than the original House language, since it allows the Navy
to move Vieques training to multiple sites. It's my understanding that
the working group does not expect to replicate the Vieques range's
features in one locale. Furthermore, the legislation apparently does not
require that the property be mothballed for possible future Navy use.

Still, the provisions in the Defense Authorization Act are a major
setback for Puerto Rican activists and their supporters, and unless the
President re-affirms his decision to close the range, the new
Congressional position is likely to lead to intensified protests on the
island, particularly if, as reported, the Navy resumes live fire
training with high explosive weapons.


Lenny
-- 


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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