[CPEO-MEF] Controversy continues over Bartlett's comments

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Controversy continues over Bartlett's comments 

FREDERICK, MD APRIL 17 - The controversy over comments about 
contamination clean up at the army post continues. Wednesday, a 
spokesperson for Bartlett said he did not misspeak, but that his 
comments were misunderstood. 

Here is an example of the comments made that some in the Frederick 
community, like Mayor Jennifer Dougherty, were criticizing. 

"Every place in the country doesn't have to be pristine enough that you 
can build a childcare center there and the kids can eat the dirt. And 
that's what they're requiring of this clean up and its nothing short of 
silly," CongressmanRoscoe Bartlett (R MD-6) said Friday at a press 
conference at Fort Detrick. 

In a prepared statement, Bartlett said he supported the clean up at Fort 
Detrick and contamination that migrates must be cleaned up. As for site 
B11, where the clean up work was being concentrated, Lisa Wright a 
spokesperson for the Congressman, said the comments about "kids being 
able to eat the dirt" apply there. Once the source of contamination was 
cleaned to the point that it didn't pose a threat, it's clean enough. 
She said it's cheaper and practical to not clean it to the high standard 
of human consumption and its easier to just keep kids or anyone who 
would eat the dirt away from the site. 

As for any future contaminants that might turn up at Fort Detrick, 
Bartlett's office advocates only isolating it. Bartlett said at a site 
with no clear and present danger and no migration, a cleanup could 
actually cause a danger to the public because the materials could be 
released. 

Bartlett was unavailable for direct comment Wednesday. Since there was 
some question over the context of some statements, NBC25 has pulled the 
tape and transcribed the entire answer about the cleanup and posted it 
below along with Bartlett's written response. 

The transcription of the comments can be seen at:
http://www.nbc25.com/Global/story.asp?S=747628&nav=0aMI5ykl8Uo3

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