[CPEO-MEF] Congressional Letter on Defense Environmental Orders

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

NEWS RELEASE
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman
For Immediate Release: September 18, 2008

Lawmakers Press EPA on Toxic Military Site
Pentagon's Disregard of Environmental Orders Called "Unprecedented"

Washington, D.C. - Key Democratic lawmakers are questioning why the 
Department of Defense (DOD) continues to resist Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) orders to clean up toxic contamination at three military bases.

In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, Reps. John D. 
Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
Gene Green (D-TX), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials, and Hilda L. Solis (D-CA), Vice-Chair of the 
Subcommittee, asked that EPA provide a full accounting of actions taken 
to ensure that DOD comply with its orders.

"I'm curious as to why EPA, the agency charged with enforcing our toxic 
waste laws, is allowing the nation's largest polluter to blatantly defy 
them," said Dingell. "Congress and the Courts have repeatedly reaffirmed 
the principle that DOD must comply with our toxic waste laws in the same 
manner as private individuals or companies."

"Our nation's environmental laws apply to industry and government alike, 
including the civilian bureaucracy at the Pentagon," said Green.  "The 
Pentagon's actions are unprecedented and the Committee wants to know 
exactly what steps EPA is taking to ensure DOD complies with the law."

"The Department of Defense's resistance to comply with these orders is a 
serious matter. Their actions could have a significant impact on public 
health and the environment," said Solis. "I expect the Environmental 
Protection Agency to be fully responsive to our inquiries and to handle 
this matter in a manner which protects public health and the 
environment, not just the Department of Defense."

In June, Dingell, Green and Solis wrote EPA regarding Ft. Meade in 
Maryland, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and Tyndall Air Force 
Base in Florida.  In today's letter, the lawmaker's note that an August 
response from EPA failed to address what steps the agency is taking to 
ensure DOD's compliance.


...

For the original press release and a link to the letter, see
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr349.shtml

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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