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Sunday, May 20, 2012

House Approves Legislation Authorizing $35 Million for the Puerto Rico National Guard

Thanks to Pierluisi’s amendments, bill also contains federal commitments regarding the cleanup of Culebra and the counter-drug aerostat in Lajas

Washington, DC – Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi has announced that, on Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. The bill authorizes over $35 million in new construction funding for the Puerto Rico National Guard and includes two amendments offered by Pierluisi and accepted by the full House. The first amendment expresses the “Sense of Congress” that the former military bombardment zone on the island of Culebra should be cleaned by the federal government if it can be performed at a reasonable cost, and the second amendment expresses the “Sense of Congress” that the federal government should take all appropriate steps to ensure that the counter-drug tethered aerostat radar system in Lajas, which was destroyed in 2011, is fully operational.

The $35.7 million in construction funding for the Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) includes $15 million for a new joint forces headquarters in Guaynabo to replace the current headquarters in Old San Juan; $14.7 million for a new readiness center in Gurabo to replace the existing readiness center, which is in very poor condition; $3.8 million for a new readiness center at Camp Santiago in Salinas, which is deficient in numerous respects; and $2.2 million for a new refill station building in Ceiba at the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, which will be used by the PRNG’s scuba diving teams to store their equipment, boats, and decompression tanks.

“I want to thank President Obama and the House Armed Services Committee for supporting these important construction projects for the Puerto Rico National Guard. These brave men and women have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, to keep our nation and our Island safe. They deserve the very best facilities to help them prepare for and conduct their important missions. Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to make sure that they have what they need—and nothing less,” said Pierluisi.


Decontamination of Former Bombardment Zone on Culebra

In addition, the Resident Commissioner filed an amendment to H.R. 4310 regarding the removal of unexploded ordnance from certain areas on Culebra, and the amendment was adopted by the full House.

The Navy conducted training activities for over 70 years on Culebra and in its surrounding waters. In 1974, Congress enacted legislation directing the Navy to cease operations in Culebra. In 1982, the federal government conveyed 935 acres of former Navy land on Culebra to the government of Puerto Rico for use as a public park or for public recreation. The property conveyed included a roughly 400-acre tract of land consisting of the southern portion of the Northwest Peninsula and a portion of Flamenco Beach. This 400-acre parcel had been part of the “bombardment area,” where the Navy conducted training exercises.

Although the Department of Defense, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is currently conducting cleanup operations in limited areas of Culebra, the Department of Defense has taken the position that the 1974 law enacted by Congress prohibits the use of federal funds to decontaminate the most heavily-bombarded areas on Culebra—namely, this 400-acre tract of land. Of the thousands of former defense sites around the country, this parcel of land on Culebra is the only site where the federal government claims it is not authorized to pay for decontamination.

Because of Pierluisi’s efforts, in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, Congress required the Department of Defense to conduct a study on the cost and feasibility of removing unexploded ordnance and other safety hazards from the 400-acre parcel.

The study was due in January, and is now several months overdue. The Resident Commissioner has been advised, however, that the study concluded that the cost of the cleanup would be $49 million, a relatively low amount.

Thanks to Pierluisi’s amendment to H.R. 4310, the legislation now states Congress’s view that the Department of Defense should “expeditiously” provide the report to Congress and declares that, if the report shows that the cleanup can be conducted at a “reasonable” cost to the federal government, it would be “appropriate for Congress to amend” the 1974 law to authorize the Department of Defense to decontaminate and remove unexploded ordnance from the 400-acre parcel. This amendment will lay the foundation for additional congressional action over the next several weeks, once the report has been submitted to Congress.

“It makes no sense that, of the thousands of former former defense sites around the country, this 400-acre parcel of land on Culebra is the only site the federal government claims it is not authorized to decontaminate. No reasonable observer would conclude that this is just or fair,” said Pierluisi.


Counter-Drug Aerostat in Lajas

In addition, the Resident Commissioner filed an amendment to H.R. 4310 regarding the tethered aerostat in Lajas, and this amendment was also adopted by the full House.

Since 1992, the U.S. Air Force has administered the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) program, which seeks to deter and detect smugglers moving illicit drugs into the United States. There are eight current tethered aerostat systems—six located along the Southwest border with Mexico in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas; one located in the Florida Keys; and one located in the Caribbean, in Lajas. Data from the aerostats is used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Lajas aerostat can provide radar coverage of southern, eastern and western Puerto Rico, including the Mona passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

In April 2011, the radar in the aerostat in Lajas was destroyed in bad weather conditions. In February 2012, the radar in the aerostat located in Marfa, Texas was also destroyed. The Air Force has indicated that it does not have sufficient spare parts in its inventory to replace either of these two radars or the funding necessary to purchase any new radars. As a result, there are no current plans to resume operations at Lajas or Marfa.

In meetings and letters, Pierluisi has urged the Department of Defense to take all possible steps to replace the Lajas radar.

Thanks to the Resident Commissioner’s amendment, the House has now echoed his call. Through the amendment, H.R. 4310 states Congress’s view that the TARS program should be funded and that “all appropriate steps” should be taken “to ensure that the eight current tethered aerostat systems are fully functional and, in particular, to ensure that the TARS program is providing coverage to protect U.S. jurisdictions in the Caribbean region.”

In addition, because of the Congressman’s efforts, two other pending bills besides H.R. 4310—the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013 and the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013—also include language in support of the Lajas aerostat. Those bills are expected to be approved by the full House in the coming weeks.

“I personally lobbied for this language related to the Lajas aerostat, both in my testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, and in letters to and meetings with defense officials. This is a critically-important issue for Puerto Rico and I am pleased that my advocacy efforts have not fallen on deaf ears,” said Pierluisi.