PENTAGON SEEKING CHANGES MORE ENVIRONMENTAL EXEMPTIONS SOUGHT.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - The Pentagon is continuing its push to gain more exemptions in federal environmental laws, saying regulations threaten to curtail military training and testing. The exemptions would allow the Defense Department to expose people to unhealthy air for longer periods of time and allow for the potential of contaminants to reach into groundwater. The Pentagon characterizes the exemptions being sought as narrow in focus, not blanket exemptions absolving it of responsibilities to meet environmental standards. ``We are protecting our vital military testing and training,'' said Pentagon spokeswoman Maj. Susan Izdiak. ``We're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. some flexibility to conduct our missions.'' Critics say the exemptions are unnecessary because existing law allows the Defense Department to seek exemptions for its activities for national security reasons. The opponents said the Pentagon has never invoked those provisions. Having gained exemptions in the last three years in the Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. , the Marine Mammal Protection Act The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 prohibits, with certain exceptions, the taking of marine mammals in United States waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas, and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S. , and the Migratory Bird Act, the Pentagon is seeking exemptions in the Clean Air Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), enacted in 1976, is a Federal law of the United States contained in 42 U.S.C. §§6901-6992k. It is usually pronounced as "rick-rah" or "Wreck-rah. ; and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. The exemptions are being sought for inclusion in the 2006 Defense Authorization Bill. ``They keep chipping away,'' said Heather Taylor of the Natural Resources Defense Council The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a New York City-based, non-profit non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing. Founded in 1970, NRDC today has 1. . ``Congress gives them a little bit each year until we have no protection.'' Opponents include environmental and conservation groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club. Opponents also include the National League of Cities The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest organization in the United States devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. and the National Association of Attorneys General The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is an organization in the United States of U.S. state Attorneys General which, according to the organization itself, " . A high level of military readiness and environmental compliance are not mutually exclusive goals, opponents of the exemptions argue. The exemption in the Clean Air Act, which would provide a three-year grace period for meeting air quality standards, would provide flexibility in moving and stationing units, Pentagon officials said. Opponents argue the exemption would prolong exposure to unhealthy levels of pollution and would allow the military to worsen air quality. Exemptions being sought in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act are aimed at excluding explosives and munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. from cleanup laws while they are still being used by the military. Opponents say these exemptions would allow toxic substances to remain exposed on military ranges and could lead to contamination of groundwater. There is also a potential for increasing the eventual cost of cleanup by allowing these substances to spread. Pentagon officials said they would still be required to clean up ranges when they are deactivated and that clean drinking water laws would still apply. Pentagon officials said they have a good record on the environment, spending $4 billion annually on environmental programs covering the more than 30 million acres they manage. Environmental groups call the Defense Department the nation's largest polluter, noting there are 131 military bases on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund cleanup list. The House of Representatives Armed Services Committee The term Armed Services Committee could refer to:
Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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