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 As every
San Diegan knows, the Navy is a significant presence in San Diego
County. What is less well known is that the cost of this presence,
in terms of environmental degradation, is high. The Navy is the
largest polluter of San Diego Bay and the San Diego region. The
Navy has spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the bay, created
over 100 toxic waste sites in the county, operates many nuclear
reactors in the bay, and has contaminated bay sediments.
Part of the
problem is that the Navy is exempt from many important environmental
and public safety laws. It is exempt from the Oil Pollution Act
of 1990, sections of the Clean Water Act, and regulation by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
It is time
for the Navy to be brought under the same environmental regulations
as the private sector in order to protect our communities and
natural resources. San Diego should not be less protected than
other cities in the nation just because we host the Navy. Until
the Navy is brought under regulation, our public health and safety
as well as our environment will be at risk from Navy pollution.
The Navy is
not subject to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulation,
and has refused, to date, to reveal the nature of the threat
of naval reactors in our communities. They have also refused
to provide for a regional emergency response plan or warning
sirens, which are required by the NRC for commercial reactors.
The same protection, if not more, should be given to populations
surrounding naval reactors.
Navy vessels
are exempt from oil pollution laws. After the devastating impact
of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, state and federal legislation
was passed to guard against another such spill. Unfortunately,
Navy vessels were exempted from these laws, which has resulted
in thousands of gallons of oil spilled each year into San Diego
Bay. According to US Coast Guard records, the Navy is already
the largest contributor of oil and fuel spills in San Diego Bay.
The addition of more carriers will increase oil spills.
Navy permits
meet lower standard than other port users. The Navy's storm-water
discharge permit conditions are significantly less stringent
than private industrial bay users. The facilities are, as yet,
without any permit at all. The Navy cannot be fined for pollution
from vessels.
Take Action:
Call Al Gore and tell him there should be no more environmental
exemptions or special treatment for the Navy. Ask him to support
legislation that will bring the Navy under full environmental
regulation. Call (202) 456-1414 now. 
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ast month's celebration of Earth Day was a good reminder
that we all need to take action to preserve our precious environment.
In San Diego, a major action we can take is a strong, proactive
position on regulating Navy projects and discharges. Give the
gift of activism; join us for a new century in San Diego where
all operations that degrade the environment are regulated under
the law and new projects minimize impacts to the environment.
environmentalhealth.org for more information.