The Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative

Prof. R. WilsonES 333: Environmental Policy

Dominique Shaw

Military Environmental Policy Foreign Environmental Policy - Wartime strategies/Impacts *usually examined in context of A single conflict (Vietnam, Gulf War, etc..) - Building installations overseas

Domestic Environmental Policy -Ideal Goal: Balance security and Environmental Concerns - governed by same environmental laws that apply to other federal agencies

-For past 3yrs dod has aggressively been seeking exemption from these laws through submitting a series of provisions to congress

Military Land USe

Over 30 million acres in the U.S. are controlled by the military (Department of Defense)-army installations cover 12 million of the 30 million acres

-of those 12 million acres 90% are used for training and weapons testing

20% of the nation’s endangered plants and animal species inhabit these areas

Military also relies on public space like coastal waters and air for training

Military actions have immense impact on the natural environment

Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative

‘We are the best military in the world, bar none, and the reason for that is that we train more often, we train to higher standards, and most importantly we train under realistic combat conditions, and that includes and emphasizes live-fire training and the testing of our weapons systems.’

~ Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness on behalf of the DoD

The RRPI package seeks to exempt the military from: - national environmental policy act (Nepa) - Endangered Species act (ESA) - Migratory bird treaty act (MBTA) - Marine Mammal protection act (mmpa) - clean air act - resource conservation and recovery act (RCra) - superfund (cercla)

Congress Response to RRPI

2002 congress exempted military from the MBTA - allows for the unintentional killing of migratory birds

- changes decades long policy of joining with neighboring nations to protect 850 species of migratory birds

2003 exemptions from ESA and MMPA

- esa exemption passed a law authorizing the military to use integrated natural resource management \ plans in place of more restrictive critical habitat designations required by the esa - MMPA Exemption authorized due to national security

RRPI Provisions currently in congress Exemption from Clean Air Act -would allow new units that are moved into an installation more time before they are required to comply with Clean Air Act State Implementation Plan

Exemptions from RCRA and CERCLA - would ease overall regulations on munitions and clean up

Opposition to rrpi

Variety of Environmental organizations - nrdc has filed suit against

Department of defense

Major challenge to the opposition - recommendations require a shift in military view on its responsibility to the environment

Benefits of Military Compliance

Adhering to the environmental laws the Dod is seeking exemption from would actually help to ensure that:

- realistic environment needed for training is maintained

- safety of military workers and their families - save military from paying fines, penalties and engaging in costly litigation - would boost the military’s public image both domestically and abroad

Conclusion

The passing of these provisions will indicate how the military is going to conduct domestic environmental policy in the future

As our major source of national security, the military should be set an example of environmental consciousness

The implementation of these provisions would place the military above the law and send negative messages both domestically and overseas

Severe degradation to environment