May 13, 2003
The Honorable David M. Walker Dear Mr. Walker: The General Accounting Office (GAO) in the past several years has issued several well-documented and helpful reports concerning cleanup of Formerly Utilized Defense Sites and is currently investigating unexploded ordnance cleanup issues at closed, transferred, or transferring Department of Defense (DOD) sites. We believe that it would also be helpful for the GAO to investigate and examine cleanup issues resulting from contamination from unexploded ordnance and munitions-related constituents at DOD "operational ranges." There is a strong and growing body of evidence that munitions-related contaminants such as perchlorate have become a serious concern with respect to groundwater at "operational ranges." There also seems to be a serious lack of information about the identity, location, and last active use of ranges that fall within the definition of "operational ranges." The DOD has failed to submit the Congressionally mandated report that requires cost estimates for remediation of unexploded ordnance and munitions constituents on all "operational ranges" and a comprehensive plan for addressing the remediation of unexploded ordnance and munitions constituents on "operational ranges." Therefore, we request that the GAO identify the location and last active use of all "operational ranges," and indicate whether the DOD has sampled for and investigated the existence of perchlorate in the surface or groundwater at "operational ranges," and assess the current efforts of the DOD to address the contamination at such sites. Should you have any questions about this request, please contact us or have your staff contact Richard A. Frandsen,Committee on Energy and Commerce Democratic staff, at 202-225-3641 or Heather Taylor of Representative Solis’s office at 202-226-9883. Thank you for your attention to this request. Sincerely,
HILDA L. SOLIS cc: The Honorable W. J. "Billy" Tauzin, Chairman The Honorable Paul E. Gillmor, Chairman | |
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