2012 CPEO Military List Archive

From: Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 09:26:16 -0700 (PDT)
Reply: cpeo-military
Subject: Re: [CPEO-MEF] COMMUNITIES: Students excluded from Spring Valley (DC) Advisory Board
 
I can't believe this. Why would any Restoration Advisory Board exclude people who want to volunteer their time overseeing important cleanup projects? I often hear complaints that young people don't get involved in environmental cleanup these days. Why not welcome them when they step forward?

I don't know who is responsible for the reported decision to exclude "non-permanent" residents from the Spring Valley RAB, but this is one more example of the need for an appeals procedure to resolve questions of Restoration Advisory Board participation at Defense Department sites. I have suggested more than once the need for an Ombuds-committee made up of representative regulators, Defense officials, and one or more community representatives. It doesn't seem that difficult to implement.

Lenny


On Oct 5, 2012, at 9:13 AM, Lenny Siegel wrote:

Student voice restricted in Spring Valley

Editorial
American University Eagle (DC)
September 20, 2012


When arsenic is involved, everyone deserves to have their say.

The Spring Valley Restoration Advisory Board recently announced that students cannot participate in board discussions on the basis that they are not permanent D.C. residents. Usually, this would be passed off as an AU neighborhood complaint and soon be forgotten, but high levels of arsenic left from World War I-era testing have been found in the area surrounding AU. This is a health concern and students have the right to voice their opinion.

Many students live in the Spring Valley area. Although they may only be there for two or three years (maybe more if they stay after graduation), they still are exposed to the residual chemical from the former defense site. On the 5100 block of Tilden Street, arsenic at levels of 22.8 parts per million (ppm) were removed. Arsenic levels above 20 ppm are not considered safe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.


...

For the entire editorial, see
http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/staff-editorial-student- voice-restricted-in-spring-valley/

--

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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--

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

_______________________________________________
Military mailing list
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http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/military-cpeo.org

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