[CPEO-MEF] Study: Marine Training Won't Hurt Panhandle Environment

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Florida
TAMPA BAY ONLINE
Study: Marine Training Won't Hurt Panhandle Environment
_From The Associated Press
Published: Apr 15, 2003

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE - Marine Corps training at this base would have no
significant influence on traffic, businesses, wetlands and threatened or
endangered species as long as proper management techniques are used, a
draft environmental study has concluded.
The Navy and Marine Corps plan to move live fire training to Eglin and
other bases in the Southeast from Vieques Island in Puerto Rico.
Protests after an errant bomb killed a civilian security guard on
Vieques prompted the services to seek other sites for the training.

The Air Force Air Armament Center, which oversees this Florida Panhandle
base, is expected to sign off on the analysis next week, Eglin
environmental spokesman Mike Spaits said Tuesday.

That would clear the way for up to two Marine amphibious and
expeditionary warfare exercises annually, each lasting 10 days. It would
be December, however, before the first exercise could be held, said Maj.
Dan McGuire, who is leading the Marine effort here.

The Navy already has used Eglin and the Gulf of Mexico for aircraft
carrier battlegroup exercises including the live bomb drops on the
base's weapons testing ranges.

This article can be viewed at:
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGAL3US6KED.html

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