[CPEO-MEF] Readiness Subcommittee Passes 2 Environmental Exemption Provisions

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

Yesterday the Readiness Sub-committee of the House
Armed Services Committee considered their portion of the Defense
Authorization Bill for FY2003.  As many of you know DOD has
submitted a number of proposals for legislative exemptions from six
existing environmental statutes.  In his opening remarks Chairman
Hefley addressed the two provisions he included in his markup of the
bill. (Chairman Hefley's quotes are taken from Environmental News
Service.)

"From my first day as chairman of the Military Readiness
Subcommittee, I have heard one consistent theme from both the top
officials at the Pentagon as well as the men and women in uniform whom I
have met from military installations throughout the country," said
Joel Hefley, the Colorado Republican who heads the subcommittee, in
prepared remarks before the hearing. "The ability of the Department
of Defense to fulfill its primary mission to safeguard national security
has been dramatically challenged - and in some instances diminished - due
to its obligations to satisfy several important federal environmental
laws."
"The land, waters and air space in which
the Department can train its soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines have
been restricted or lost due to the presence of endangered species,
complaints about noise, urban encroachment and so forth," Hefley
added. 

With that, Hefley referred to two provisions one for the Endangered
Species Act and one for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that he included in
his mark-up of the of the Readiness portion of the FY2003 Defense
Authorization Act (these will be posted as soon as they are
available).

The Congressman then went on to discuss the process by which DOD went
about submitting their legislative proposal.  He appeared to be
displeased with the timing as well as the fact that DOD had not made a
strong enough case for the other four exemptions under: 1) Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA); 2) Resource Conservations and Recovery Act; CERCLA
(Superfund) and the Clean Air Act.  He did, however, appear to leave
the door open to be further convinced regarding the MMPA.  He closed
his comments by saying:

"Given the time that the Department has given the Subcommittee to
consider these significant adjustments to existing environmental statues,
it would not be responsible for this Subcommittee to address these
changes, at this time," Hefley said. 

Discussion on the issues then took over the committee and both
Congressman Hansen (R-UT) and Congressman Weldon (R-PA) voiced their
support for Hefley?s provisions.  Hansen alluded to the fact that he
may introduce legislation on the MMPA in the full committee.

Congressman Maloney (D-CT) spoke in dissent of the two provisions for a
variety of reasons but most specifically because through process for
review had not been applied.  He was the one clear dissenting vote
on the passage of this portion of the bill.  Susan Davis (D-CA) may
have dissented as she alluded to in her remarks but CPEO is not certain
about that at this time.

We will post the actual language as it passed as soon as it is
available.

The full Defense Authorization bill will be considered in the full House
Armed Services Committee next Wednesday at 10 AM.

Aimee

Please note new phone number and address below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aimee R. Houghton                                 

Associate Director, CPEO

1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000

Washington, DC  20036

tel: 202-452-8039; fax: 202-452-8095

Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org

www.cpeo.org

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