2009 CPEO Military List Archive

From: "stella" <stellalogic1@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:19:50 -0700 (PDT)
Reply: cpeo-military
Subject: Re: [CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS, CLOSURE: Camp Bonneville (WA) failure
 
(lenny-please feel free to post if you see fit)

I was a stakeholder and RAB member on this BRAC site. I would like to share a 'bit' of my experience with it-clear up some miscommunication. Clark County's Commissioners, at the time, were well aware of the issues surrounding the UXO's on ALL 3800 acres. The Army was well aware of the UXO issues on all 3800 acres. Irregardless of that old smoke screen-'no historical data'-which was not true and was found by those looking for it-both county officials and Army officials were well aware of all the issues. In defense of DOE-and from what i remember-they tried their best to put forth some 'rule or regulation' (sorry do not remember the exact verbage) to cause the Army to clean up. I remember 'fighting' tooth and nail to STOP any transference of that base till it was cleaned up-knowing how costly it was going to be. I was told there was only one 'impact' area and very little firing fans anywhere else-I knew something 'smelled' funny. Sure enough-the whole 3800 acres was a criss cross of firing fans but more so, I was told 'only the Army' used it. Again, something didn't 'smell' right-and UXO's from the Air Force, old fireworks, etc. were found out there. I knew if the Army wouldn't 'tell the truth' about these 'matters'-I sure as heck wasn't buying their 'monetary guess' on cleanup-not their's and not the Army Corps of Engineers. More so, I knew community members who were trained on Camp Bonneville during WWII-people who grew up around there and on Camp Bonneville when that area was just being settled/established. They knew the truth-tried to talk to the Army about this-but no one was listening-instead most of that was pushed away as 'old timers with 'old timers' disease'. I heard 'wind' of landmines being taken out to Camp Bonneville during WWII-once again, only to be told by the Army 'why-that is not true'. Yet once again, from researching-found the historical documents stating quite the opposite yet not showing those land mines being taken off the land.

Seriously-there was so many other issues-and i'm sure there are so many more I'll never find out that the public needs to know.

Just wanted to clear up any misunderstandings if at all possible.
Stella
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lenny Siegel" <lsiegel@cpeo.org>
To: "Military Environmental Forum" <military@lists.cpeo.org>
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 12:28 PM
Subject: [CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS, CLOSURE: Camp Bonneville (WA) failure


Bonneville Blunder
Plans for park and cemetery now appear more elusive than ever at Camp Bonneville

Editorial
The Columbian (WA)
March 27, 2009

Unfortunately for Clark County residents, the cleanup of Camp Bonneville is turning into a classic example of government at its worst. As The Colombian's Erik Robinson reported Thursday, it now appears cleaning up the old Army artillery range in the east county will cost about twice as much as the Army had predicted, and less than half of the 3,480-acre site could be turned over to public use.

Understandably, converting old artillery ranges into public use is an inexact science. It's hard to know how many old shells and dangerous leftovers are buried until the cleanup begins. But in this case, public frustration rises to a higher level because of widespread finger-pointing among at least four stakeholders in the project: Clark County officials, the state Department of Ecology, Army officials and a nonprofit organization contracted to oversee the cleanup. Throw in several subcontractors working on the site, plus the legitimate needs of special-interest groups such as parks developers and advocates of a veterans cemetery, and what seems like a simple project turns into a bureaucratic nightmare.


...

For the entire editorial, see
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090327/OPINION02/703279972/-1/OPINION

--


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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