[CPEO-MEF] Area 51 Lessons

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Nevada
KLAS-TV
Area 51 Lessons
George Knapp, I-Team Reporter
July 29, 2003

(July 29) -- Elected officials in Washington are expected to decide this
fall whether to allow American military bases, including some in Nevada,
to be exempted from meeting environmental regulations.

The Pentagon has complained that its ability to train American forces
has been hindered by laws designed to protect endangered species and
fragile ecosystems.

So what would be the fallout from relaxing these laws? One indication
may be the environmental record of the Area 51 military complex.

At a time like this, Americans are very supportive of the military. We
recognize the importance of having the best military in the world, and
if the Pentagon says it needs something, chances are, it will get it.
But should military forces be able to sidestep environmental protections
that apply to everyone else? It's happened before and the results
weren't pretty.

"If you become what you are defending against, then you've lost. With
Area 51, we've become what we are defending against,"  said Jonathan
Turley, law professor.  He has spent the last eight years trying to
secure justice for some two dozen anonymous employees of Nevada's Area
51 military base.

According to federal lawsuits filed by Turley, the managers of Area 51
routinely used large open pits to burn all wastes, toxic or otherwise.
For years, base workers were exposed to clouds of poisonous fumes. When
they sought medical attention for horrible sores and other problems,
their employer refused to say what they had been exposed to. At least
two base workers died from the exposure, including the husband of Helen
Frost.

This transcript can be viewed at:
http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1380902&nav=168XHBOF

To view the video clip (requires Windows Media Player), click the video
icon located next to the headline.

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