Re: ** ACTION ALERT ** Rep. Underwood Letter **

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.org>]

Here is what I hope will be a cleaner copy of the Underwood Dear Colleague
Letter:

The following is a "Dear Colleague" letter being circulated by the 
office of Congressman Robert Underwood (D-Guam). After other 
members of Congress have signed, it will be sent to the House 
members of the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization Act 
conference committee.

 August --, 1995

Dear Congressman ---,

 We are writing to raise our serious concern about a provision 
in the Senate-passed FY96 DoD Authorization bill which would 
undermine the functioning of Restoration Advisory Boards (RABs), 
and to request that you assist in correcting this matter in conference.

 As you may know, the FY95 DoD Authorization bill included 
a provision which authorized $7.5 million in technical assistance for 
RABs. The concept of independent technical assistance at Defense 
cleanup sites originated in the recommendations of the Federal 
Facilities Environmental Restoration Dialogue Committee, an 
advisory committee made up of federal agencies, state 
representatives, Native American Indian tribes and representatives of 
affected communities.

 Technical assistance for RABs ensures that local communities 
have the understanding of highly technical information to make 
informed and independent recommendations about clean-up. 
Informed public participation contributes to more timely and efficient 
cleanup, as well as increased community acceptance.

 Provisions in the Senate-passed bill would derail and delay 
DoD's good faith effort to implement the technical assistance 
program authorized in the FY95 DoD Authorization bill and as 
published in the May 24, 1995 Federal Register notice. As written, 
the Senate language would preclude some of the options for service 
delivery proposed by the Department.

 The Senate language combines RAB administrative expenses 
and technical support into one line item, even though DoD says that 
the $4 million allocated in the Senate bill may not cover 
administrative costs at the more than two hundred facilities where 
RABs are already in place. Restoring the amount to $7.5 million, the 
amount in last year's bill for technical assistance, would cost about 
three thousandth of one percent of the Defense budget but it would 
greatly amplify the effectiveness of the cleanup process.

 Support of technical assistance for RABs crosses ideological 
lines. More than two hundred RABs are already functioning at active, 
closing and former bases. RAB members, drawn from neighboring 
communities, military employees, and even military personnel, 
represent a wide range of political and ideological views.

 We ask that the conferees restore the original $7.5 million in 
funding for RABs and approve language that not only guarantees 
their continued operation but which ensures that all such boards in 
need of independent technical assistance have access to a process that 
can provide it.

 Sincerely,