[CPEO-MEF] Toxic soil cleanup may see setback

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California
PASADENA STAR NEWS
Toxic soil cleanup may see setback
Proposed legislation could hinder local efforts against perchlorate
By Gary Scott, Staff Writer
May 10, 2003

PASADENA -- Proposed legislation that would exempt the U.S. Defense
Department from federal environmental laws could hamper efforts to clean
up perchlorate contamination in the San Gabriel Valley, critics of the
legislation say.

The measure, called the Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative, and
supported by the Bush administration, would set aside laws governing the
cleanup of contaminants related to munitions testing at facilities
operated by the Defense Department or one of its contractors.

It is being considered as part of the larger Defense Department
reauthorization act making its way through the GOP-controlled Congress.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said he is concerned the proposal could be
made retroactive, thereby affecting cleanup at places like Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. As a result of decades-ago rocket testing at JPL,
perchlorate has leached into the water supply for Pasadena and Altadena.

While JPL is now run by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration not part of the Defense Department it was managed by the
U.S. Army at the time most of the perchlorate was deposited.

"This is not a done deal, but I think it is alarming that the Department
of Defense would even be proposing this,' Schiff said. "I don't like the
precedent of it anyway, but it could very well have an impact close to
home.'

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~1383623,00.html

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