Re: [CPEO-MEF] Joint Land Use vs. "Encroachment"

[StellaVB@aol.com]

As always, Lenny has narrowed down the many issues shrouded in twists and 
turns regarding military vs. civilian conflicts.

A few comments and questions:

The issue surrounding 'tax revenues' for the communities due to land value is

valid.  I have often wondered why there is not 'buffer' zones in place.  I 
lived next to an Army base in Vancouver, WA and, first hand experience, backs

up Lenny's comments about those who buy near one.  Due to my personal support

of the military/war readiness, I never once thought that the 'training' done 
on Camp Bonneville could remotely harm me or my family.  I believed the 
military would never intentionally harm me or my family.  Due to 'solutions',

like Joint Land Use vs. Community "Encroachment", from the military it causes

me to doubt my beliefs.  

Question for any military 'decision makers':  Am I wrong in assuming you 
realize how devastating the training done on these sites is to civilians?  
Ground?  Groundwater?  Regarding having a training area, what about the 
groundwater contamination that does move 'off site'?  Regarding OB/OD, the 
contaminants move due to air current 'off site'.  Do you feel these are 
issues you, the military, must address?  Should address?  Or this is 'just' 
part of the 'package'?  If this is 'just part of the package' who is going to

pay for the medical bills incurred by training, the mental health bills 
incurred when trauma hits a family and ultimately funeral costs?  An example 
of this, I work in a Center that deals with low vision, no vision and 
multi-disabled children.  One of our clients, 1 year old, was born with no 
eyes.  She was born on the Marshall Islands.  Since the 40's, when atomic 
testing was frequent, children are born with this disability.  Here stateside

it is rare.  In the gravest of military responsibility, accountability and 
equity:  it is the military that should be paying for any costs incurred by 
her disability.

Which leads into another question or two (for the military):  Are you aware 
of the 'fallout' (genetically) to the environment and civilians due to 
'training'?  Do you put money from your budget into research of this kind?  
If not, why not?  If so, it would be the responsible decision to make to make

these 'reports' public.  If they are already public domain, I would 
appreciate seeing them.

The 'either/or' scenario the military is trying to leave us with is not 
acceptable.  It is my understanding that much of the contamination in ground 
and groundwater is due to the military not cleaning up after themselves 
regarding training practice (I am strictly addressing ordnance issues).  I 
have a few more questions to the military:

Why is there not a clean up detail after the fact?  Why are the landfills on 
these sites 'just a hole dug in the ground'?  I do not know anything about a 
public landfill but I do know I cannot take just 'anything' to the city dump 
and expect them to dispose of it for me.  In looking for solutions, am I that

far off to expect the military to clean up after themselves?  Am I wrong in 
assuming that this practice would eliminate a majority of the problems 
surrounding these bases?

Once again, thank you Lenny for the clarity on the issues.
Stella Bourassa


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~