Posted on 01/30/2003 5:06:56 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
During the EIB third hour, Roger Hedgecock, sitting in for Rush, spoke with Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Chariman of the Armed Services Committee, about environmental regulations that hinder training of marine forces at Camp Pendleton in California. Marines practicing amphibious assaults land on the beach, then pile onto a bus for the next phase of exercises so they don't harm the endangered California gnatcatcher, a small songbird.
Roger quoted Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness, who plans to begin hearings next month on how endangered species issues have impaired military training."We want to train people the way they're going to fight," Hefley said. "You don't land there and get on a bus and drive to where you're going to shoot.
Roger went on to say environmentalist groups are endangering the lives of our Marines, as their final training takes place off Camp Pendleton before leaving for Iraq. This training is the most important a Marine can receive when preparing for combat when moving from sea to land in preparation for combat. This is the time most casualties occur!
Groups like the Sierra Club are giving more importance to the life of the gnatcatcher considered an endangered bird then our own Marines. Millions of these endangered birds are found in Mexico, with Camp Pendleton being a northern-most home for their habitat.
A Sierra Club card toting ex-military call-in suggested other areas off California to conduct these "life saving" maneuvers. All are areas protecting seals or even more protected birds, Roger replied.
The Air Force electronically tags gulf sturgeon to make sure they are not around when live ordnance is detonated over the Gulf of Mexico. The Marine Corps dispersed nests away from training operations to increase the population of red-cockaded woodpeckers in eastern North Carolina.
On the Pentagon's wish list are several provisions to lessen the burden of having to protect endangered species' "critical habitat" for survival, and broader exemptions from having to meet Clean Air Act standards during wartime and other national emergencies.
"They don't need the exemptions which they seek," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who has been a frequent critic of military attempts to bypass federal environmental laws. "They are not only irresponsible but they seek to evade normal, proper environmental supervision."
More conservative leadership of House and Senate environmental panels has raised expectations at the Defense Department that Congress will grant the military more exemptions from environmental laws.
"We are more hopeful. We hope it works in our favor but we're not going to take anything for granted," Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood said Tuesday. "Our expectations are high. That's not to say our work is going to be easy." (Or is it already too late!)
Note:Roger Hedgecock was once a card carrying Sierra Club member. He is no longer a member.
That's up fer debate, IMHO...whenever he's one of the four (4) SportsReporters on that TeeVeeTalkShow, he's almost always the lamest of the group. Now that Mike something from NooYawk is pretty good...sorta a poor man's George Will of sports, IMHO.
FReegards...MUD
No, it wasn't. If it was I wouldn't have been a member.
At the risk of sounding defeatist, I believe it is too late for that.
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