[CPEO-MEF] Dod can't trump our environment

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

California
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE
OPINION
Dod can't trump our environment
May 18, 2003

AFTER years of making responsible parties pay for groundwater and soil
cleanup, legislation moving through Congress would leave major polluters
the Department of Defense and its contractors off the invoice. We agree
with Reps. David Dreier, Adam Schiff and Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne
Feinstein: No way.

We do, however, recognize that legislation pushed through by Dreier,
D-Glendora, has indeed made federal dollars available to clean up
contamination in the East Valley left by DOD contractor Aerojet General.

Today, there are safeguards against tossing chemicals out the back door
to make their way down through the soil to the water table. During
California's aerospace and defense contractor heyday, no such rules
existed.

Californians know the folly of that oversight and ought to let their
representatives know that they don't intend to allow any manufacturer
including defense contractors foul the air, water or land and get off
scot-free without contributing toward the cleanup.

That's why we find it shameful that a Californian, Rep. Duncan Hunter,
R-El Cajon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, would even
consider backing an amendment to DOD reauthorization that would exempt
defense contractors from Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

This editorial can be viewed at:
http://www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205~12238~1399894,00.html

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