[CPEO-MEF] Grassroots Letter on Defense Environmental Appointments

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

On December 17, nearly one hundred activists from throughout the United 
States and Puerto Rico submitted a letter to the Obama Transition Team 
calling on President-Elect Obama "to appoint Defense environmental 
leaders who have demonstrated a clear commitment to protecting public 
health and the environment and building a sustainable future."

The formatted letter with "signatures" may be downloaded from 
http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/Grassroots.pdf. The text of the letter is 
pasted below. CPEO coordinated this effort.

Lenny





Grassroots Letter on Defense Environmental Appointments

December 17, 2008

To the Obama Transition Team:

We are present and former residents of communities impacted by 
Department of Defense and military contractor Environmental and 
Sustainability activities; present and former Defense employees and 
members of the armed services; and representatives of organizations that 
work with such constituencies. The U.S. military has a significant 
impact upon our health, property, and communities. In fact, decisions 
made by Defense environmental officials have as much impact on our 
communities as decisions at U.S. EPA and other federal agencies.

We don't expect Defense environmental officials always to agree with us, 
but during the administrations of George H.W. Bush and William J. 
Clinton, the military improved its relationships with our communities. 
During the last eight years, those relationships deteriorated with the 
appointment of leaders who believe short-term Department concerns take 
precedence over all other requirements. We recognize that some 
appointees and a large number of uniformed personnel and civilian 
employees are still trying to do the right thing, but it is essential to 
have Defense environmental appointees who appreciate the public interest 
as a whole and engender confidence among the public as well as state, 
local, and tribal governments.

When Vice-President Cheney was Defense Secretary, he stated that the 
Department should not just comply with environmental requirements, but 
it should be a leader. Today, this is even more important as the nation 
tackles the challenges of climate change, energy dependence, and grid 
vulnerability. With its vast landholdings, infrastructure, and land, 
sea, and air vehicle fleets, the Defense Department should be in the 
forefront in the drive for economic and environmental sustainability.

We urge, therefore, that the Defense Department create a high-level 
position within the Office of the Secretary of Defense-at the 
Undersecretary level-with responsibility for energy, environment, and 
other sustainability policies.

We further urge President Obama to appoint Defense environmental leaders 
who have demonstrated a clear commitment to protecting public health and 
the environment and building a sustainable future. Moreover, we ask that 
appointees meet the three following criteria:

1. They should recognize that the military is not above the law. The 
Defense Department is subject to environmental regulation by U.S. EPA, 
states, tribal, and local governments like any other entity.

2. The military should not interfere in the establishment of 
environmental standards. It should have the same access to the 
standard-setting process as the public, academia, and private polluters. 
Health standards should be based upon science, not the interests of 
those responsible for complying with them.

3. Existing public involvement strategies should be strengthened. Limits 
on the operations of Restoration Advisory Boards should be lifted, and 
similar bodies should be established to oversee installation and range 
sustainability activities. Furthermore, the Department should establish 
avenues, such as multi-stakeholder dialogues or conferences, to 
encourage public input at the national policy level.

We believe that elevating sustainability and making careful 
environmental appointments at the Defense Department will serve the men 
and women of the armed services, their families, host communities, 
national security, the natural environment, and the future of the planet.




--


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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