[CPEO-MEF] Bush administration wants military exemptions to environmental laws

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Bush administration wants military exemptions to environmental laws
03 April 2003
By John Heilprin, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Bush administration officials seeking to exempt defense
bases from environmental laws say they fear military training could be
compromised by lawsuits.

The officials acknowledge there has been little problem so far. But
Benedict S. Cohen, deputy general counsel for the Defense Department,
told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday,
"There's a wave of pending litigation that we do see as a threat. We
don't want to wait until there's a train wreck."

Republicans may attach exemptions as amendments to $80 billion war
spending bills, said an aide to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who chairs
the committee.

Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., Inhofe's predecessor as chairman, said he
and other opponents would try to block the maneuver. "We're very
concerned about it," he said.

The Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement chief said the agency
supports the exemptions. "Prospectively we can envision ways that these
laws might have an impact on military readiness," said John Peter
Suarez.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.enn.com/news/2003-04-03/s_3663.asp

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