Overheard at "BRAC 2006: Responding to Change"
Dept. of Defense conference,
Atlanta, Georgia, May 2006
"Not only are there numerous locations experiencing downsizing, but several are looking at unprecedented growth … One big issue is that students are coming back to these communities. Where will they go to school? … What's the migration? How do you fund out accommodating the influx of students?"
– Patrick J. O'Brien, director, Office of Economic Adjustment, DoD
"In all prior rounds of BRAC combined we spent approximately $24 billion with remediation, O&M [operations and maintenance] and construction taking about a third each. Now there is a $23-billion bill, and based on the numbers, more than three quarters of the amount, instead of one-third, will be construction."
– Philip Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
(Installations & Environment)
"There have been a number of instances where property has been transferred and contamination then discovered, subject to CERCLA. But there is a problem fulfilling these covenants because they say DoD will return and conduct cleanup, but they do not provide for the private sector to conduct cleanup and be reimbursed. So, to stay on schedule, the developer conducts the cleanup and then sues the DoD to get the money back. Congress has made changes to the law now that allow DoD to enter into agreements to allow DoD to reimburse for cleanup. The goal is to enter into agreements at the time of transfer."
– Phil Sheuerman, associate general counsel, deputy general counsel
(Env. and Installations), office of the General Counsel, DoD
