EPA, DoD Concerned Over Toxic Chemicals Inside Three Military Bases

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Defense Department and the Environmental Protection Agency are in a turf war over the clean up of toxic substances at Fort Meade and two other military bases.

The Pentagon has refused to sign an agreement, required by law, which includes 12 other military areas on the Superfund list of most polluted parts of the U.S. An agreement would have required a remediation plan, schedules and permit the EPA to supervise the work and impose penalties if the Defense Department misses deadlines.

Although legislation is in favor of EPA administrator Stephen Johnson having the last say, the Pentagon disputes EPA's authority. The Pentagon, in a letter military officials wrote to the Justice Department, challenged the EPA and sought intervention of the Office of Management and Budget.

Rena Steinzor, co-author of the Superfunds law, told the Washington Post, "This is stunning... The idea that they would refuse to sign a final order - that is the height of amazing nerve."

The Pentagon said it is voluntarily cleaning up Fort Meade in Maryland, Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. But the EPA is not content with the extent of the Defense Department's clean-up proposal.

The Air Force, like the Pentagon, has refused to sign any cleanup agreement for the past 14 years, while the Navy has inked pacts with EPA.

Outside of the Superfund sites, the military has 25,000 contaminated lands spread in 50 states, the magnitude of a clean-up would be staggering in terms of cost and decades needed to complete the clean up.

Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sided with the EPA. In a statement, Dingell said, "I find it troubling not only that the Department of Defense is in flagrant violation of final orders issued by the EPA, but that DOD is now attempting to circumvent the law and Congress' intent... The EPA is the expert agency charged by Congress with enforcing our environmental laws and the Administration needs to allow them to do their job to protect the public health and safety."

The three sites have been identified in EPA reports as releasing cancer-causing toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater.