Departments



Articles

Less

Letters to the Editor: THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS CEDAR KEY PATRIOTIC VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.
July 5th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Letter To Editor
May 17th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: To the voters and citizens of Cedar Key
May 14th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Thanks To Mandy
May 4th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Sidewalks & Trash
April 26th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Response To The Chamber
April 25th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Oil Spill Claims
April 21st, 2012

Letters to the Editor: RE: Statement in Advertisement
April 20th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: STAND YOUR GROUND
April 13th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: An Ounce of Prevention, is worth…..
April 9th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Systemic Pesticide
March 18th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: After TNR - What next?
March 10th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Letter To Editor - Halloween Resolution
February 24th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Presidential Politics in the New South
January 17th, 2012

Letters to the Editor: Letter To Editor - Cedar Key Oysters
January 9th, 2012

More

Military Study Highlights Negative Impact of Bombing Range

Military Study Highlights Negative Impact of Bombing Range

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:


Conspicuous by its absence in Colonel Nolan's article, "Testing ranges can be beneficial", in the May 23rd edition of the Gainesville Sun was the term "bombing range". Perhaps we are to assume the area will now be tested and no longer bombed?


Like the title, the article, at best, was a sincere attempt to deceive. The colonel spent a great deal of time discussing the periphery of Eglin AFB. but never actually penned a single word concerning the bombing range. I found this to be quite odd considering we already have all of the wildlife and habitat associated with sound environmental practices and our concern is the impact the bombing range would have on the environment.


I would like to correct the colonel's apparent oversight.


In August of 2000 the Center for Naval Analyses produced a document titled, "Alternatives to Vieques" from a study conducted at the request of the Secretary of the Navy. Here are their conclusions on new range development:


Any military ranges will have an impact---often an undesirable impact---on the environment, the local economy, and the people who live in the area. Any military training range---especially one where you can expend live ordinance---is going to disrupt the natural environment. One area of concern is the general protection of plants, animals and ecosystems, with special emphasis on the protection of endangered or protected species and the habitat that they need to survive. Another area of concern is pollution, particularly pollution of the air, water, soil or aquifers that might endanger the health of current residents or future generations.


Fortunately, Colonel Nolan has assured us of the sound environmental practices at Eglin AFB and such things as water and air quality would not be a problem...


From the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's public health assessment for Eglin AFB. January 23, 2003:
1. Exposure via the air pathway to contaminants resulting from activities such as prescribed burns and wildfires could pose a short-term hazard from the burning of plant materials. For those exposed, this could cause short-term adverse health effects such as burning, itching or watery eyes; nausea; difficulty breathing and asthma-like symptoms. To address this situation, ATSDR recommends that Eglin AFB continue notifying potentially affected community members whenever prescribed burns are scheduled. Contaminated groundwater from the C-6 Radar Facility is not reaching off-base residential wells. ATSDR recommends long-term groundwater monitoring to ensure contaminants do not migrate to areas where people use groundwater wells.
I would recommend reading the entire "Alternatives to Vieques" report as it provides a great deal of insight into alternative bombing ranges and sites. You can find it at: http://www.cna.org/pdfs/crm105.pdf .


Mike Ragland
65 SE 236th Street
Suwannee, Florida 32692
(352) 542-2595

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com