With two nuclear-powered Navy carriers in full view in the spectacular backdrop of San Diego Bay, Congressman Bob Filner, sponsor of the legislation, told the crowd, "They (the U.S. Military) need to level with the American people. Whether it’s nuclear reactors at North Island, whether it’s helicopters at Miramar, whether it’s the Naval base on 32^nd street, they cannot pollute our air and water without some accountability."

Imperial Beach City Councilmember Patricia McCoy also shared her concerns about the impacts of military pollution, accompanied by chants and cheers of support from the assembled crowd. Coronado resident and EHC board member Marilyn Field and EHC Clean Bay Organizer and National City resident Nohelia Ramos spoke about their first-hand experiences fighting against military pollution in San Diego.

"The military is like no other polluter," said Laura Hunter, Director of EHC’s Clean Bay Campaign. "It operates above the law and is self-

regulated. It is exempt from many important laws we have passed in this country to protect our health and safety. Military self-regulation has brought us a legacy we cannot tolerate. This fox watching itself is not working and must end."

Congressman Filner said MERA seeks to address the problem of unequal enforcement of environmental and public safety laws. "The Miliary Environmental Responsibility Act says that all agencies of the Department of Defense shall be subject to the same environmental laws that govern the rest of the nation," Filner said. He asked the crowd of passionate supporters to lend their voices of support for the MERA legislation.

In a show of grassroots community spirit, rally attendees signed cards of support for the MERA legislation that will be delivered to members of the San Diego Congressional delegation, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Susan Davis, Rep. Darrell Issa, Rep. Duncan Hunter, and Rep. Randy Cunningham.

The Department of Defense and Department of Energy are the nation’s leading polluters, yet they avoid full regulation and accountability via various exemptions. MERA will fully remove sovereign immunity in the Clean Water Act, Clear Air Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. Military exemptions will be removed from the Oil Pollution Act, Noise Act, and Atomic Energy Act and laws that regulate nuclear power. MERA will make the military fully accountable to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Response Act. The Coastal Zone Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act will also be clarified so that they apply fully to the military.

As reported in past issues of the Toxinformer, a poll conducted for EHC by the San Diego State University Social Science Research Laboratory showed 66 percent of San Diegans favor holding the navy to the same environmental protection laws and guidelines required of other industries. Pursuant to this goal, EHC worked with Congressman Filner to draft MERA.

"The Navy is the largest polluter in San Diego. Our view is if the Navy feels that they’re complying with all environmental regulations, than this bill should be no problem," said Diane Takvorian, Executive Director of EHC.

The MERA rally coincided with a National Day Of Action, during which groups across the country celebrated the kickoff of the Military Toxic Project’s Healthy Communities Campaign. In 1990, Environmental Health Coalition became a founding member of the Military Toxics Project (MTP), joining with other grassroots organizations to reduce the impacts of military operations and pollution on neighboring residents. The project now represents 400 community organizations, Native American tribes, veterans groups and individuals with the common purpose of promoting cleanup, compliance and pollution prevention by U.S. military bases and contractor facilities.

In November 2000, EHC hosted a conference of the MTP Base Contamination Network. During a People’s Congressional Hearing on Nov. 11, local elected and appointed officials including Congressman Filner heard public comment on MERA. MTP members in attendance shared stories of the effects of nearby military operations on their communities.

A report released to Congress by MTP on June 15 entitled Defend Our Health: The U.S. Military’s Environmental Assault On Communities details how polluting military activities like legal and illegal toxic dumping, testing and use of munitions, manufacture and use of depleted uranium ammunition, hazardous waste generation, nuclear propulsion, toxic air emissions and other military operations have created an environmental catastrophe. Prepared by MTP and Environmental Health Coalition, the report shows how military exemptions from laws and lax enforcement by regulatory agencies have produced more than 27,000 toxic hot spots on 8,500 military properties.

"Our military is above the law. They simply don’t have to abide by the same rules as private companies and individuals. They can pollute and poison with impunity. In a democracy, it shouldn’t be that way. We’re going to change it," said Tara Thornton, Executive Director of the Military Toxics Project.

The legacy of military environmental assault includes San Diego, where unregulated nuclear propulsion reactors and radioactive waste facilities threaten the health and safety of 250,000 residents within a five mile radius of Naval Air Station North Island, and thousands of workers and tourists in the downtown business district. The Navy has refused to provide an emergency response plan, warning sirens, community radiation monitoring, or public access to critical safety information. Neighbors of military operations and their families, dedicated service men and women, veterans, civilian employees of the military and defense contractors all are impacted by military toxics.

Most often, Indigenous communities, communities of color, and low-income communities shoulder the largest burden of military toxics and have the least ability to obtain protection and justice. Regulatory agencies often respond more quickly to wealthy white communities but ignore or downplay contamination and health problems in other areas.

The Defend Our Health report shows that communities and individuals neighboring military operations, as well as active duty personnel, veterans, and civilian workers suffer from:

• Elevated cancer rates;

• Intergenerational health problems;

• Contaminated subsistence food chains;

• Nuclear safety threats;

• Intolerable noise and disruption;

• Bombing of sacred areas; and

• Destruction of wildlife habitat

"The U.S. Military should bear the same responsibility for environmental and public health protection as private citizens and private companies. Communities and citizens are fed up with unequal protection under the law for military neighbors, civilian workers, and active duty personnel. It is a situation the people of this country will no longer tolerate," Hunter said. "Community health and safety is our most important national security interest. It’s time to stop destroying our communities in the name of protecting them. We say: Defend Our Health!"