http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Vieques-residents-give-EQB-ultimatum-on-cleanup

Sun March 11, 2010

PR Daily Sun

A group of Vieques residents delivered an ultimatum Wednesday to Environmental Quality Board [EQB] President Pedro J. Nieves, demanding that the agency take charge and stop the controlled burning of vegetation and the surface detonation of bombs and munitions left on the island after decades of military maneuvers by the Navy. “Since they [the EQB] have not paid any attention to our claims . and since there is abundant information demonstrating that contamination continues on Vieques, it is our duty to put pressure on the government,” Vieques activist Ismael Guadalupe said at EQB headquarters. “I think the possibility of us being heard is vanishing, so we will have to do whatever is necessary for us to protect our children.”

The island is a Superfund site and the cleanup is being done by the military, with the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency and EQB. The group also denounced the EQB for implicitly allowing the illegal burning of acres of land and the surface detonation of bombs by “turning a deaf ear” to the claims of Vieques residents, who say those actions are spreading more contamination. “More than a year ago the EQB held hearings in Vieques and all speakers opposed the burning and detonation in the former Navy firing range as a form of cleaning the area,” Guadalupe said. Nieves denied the EQB had allowed the burning of any area in Vieques. “Last Feb. 28 the EQB issued a statement notifying of the suspension of the preliminary exemption granted for the Navy cleanup operations,” Nieves said. “If the burning of any area is currently taking place in Vieques it must be the consequence of the detonation of live munitions on site.” In the Feb. 28 press release, Nieves stated the EQB had authorized the open burning of 200 acres but the area was reduced to less than 70 acres in the live munitions impact area, as live and inert munitions have been removed. That exemption was suspended pending a revision of a report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, saying the Navy maneuvers did not affect the health of Vieques residents. But viequenses disagreed vehemently. “They are burning and the Navy is still bombarding us – now more than before,” Guadalupe said, referring to the frequency of the detonations during the cleanup. Guadalupe reiterated the health hazards affecting residents now are the same as when the Navy was on the island, including cancer rates three times higher than the U.S. national average. Nieves urged the group to submit any studies and/or evidence of any illegal burning or detonations and its effects on the people of Vieques so it can be considered by the EQB. “This is a science agency. All decisions made here are based on scientific information,” he said. http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Vieques-residents-give-EQB-ultimatum-on-cleanup Vieques residents give EQB ‘ultimatum’ on cleanup PR Daily Sun March 11, 2010 A group of Vieques residents delivered an ultimatum Wednesday to Environmental Quality Board [EQB] President Pedro J. Nieves, demanding that the agency take charge and stop the controlled burning of vegetation and the surface detonation of bombs and munitions left on the island after decades of military maneuvers by the Navy. “Since they [the EQB] have not paid any attention to our claims . and since there is abundant information demonstrating that contamination continues on Vieques, it is our duty to put pressure on the government,” Vieques activist Ismael Guadalupe said at EQB headquarters. “I think the possibility of us being heard is vanishing, so we will have to do whatever is necessary for us to protect our children.” The island is a Superfund site and the cleanup is being done by the military, with the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency and EQB. The group also denounced the EQB for implicitly allowing the illegal burning of acres of land and the surface detonation of bombs by “turning a deaf ear” to the claims of Vieques residents, who say those actions are spreading more contamination. “More than a year ago the EQB held hearings in Vieques and all speakers opposed the burning and detonation in the former Navy firing range as a form of cleaning the area,” Guadalupe said. Nieves denied the EQB had allowed the burning of any area in Vieques. “Last Feb. 28 the EQB issued a statement notifying of the suspension of the preliminary exemption granted for the Navy cleanup operations,” Nieves said. “If the burning of any area is currently taking place in Vieques it must be the consequence of the detonation of live munitions on site.” In the Feb. 28 press release, Nieves stated the EQB had authorized the open burning of 200 acres but the area was reduced to less than 70 acres in the live munitions impact area, as live and inert munitions have been removed. That exemption was suspended pending a revision of a report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, saying the Navy maneuvers did not affect the health of Vieques residents. But viequenses disagreed vehemently. “They are burning and the Navy is still bombarding us – now more than before,” Guadalupe said, referring to the frequency of the detonations during the cleanup. Guadalupe reiterated the health hazards affecting residents now are the same as when the Navy was on the island, including cancer rates three times higher than the U.S. national average. Nieves urged the group to submit any studies and/or evidence of any illegal burning or detonations and its effects on the people of Vieques so it can be considered by the EQB. “This is a science agency. All decisions made here are based on scientific information,” he said. Guadalupe and the rest of the group then questioned the role of the agency and warned Nieves that “we will take whatever actions we need to take.” As the group left the EQB, Guadalupe anticipated the people of Vieques would resort to civil disobedience again. Guadalupe and the rest of the group then questioned the role of the agency and warned Nieves that “we will take whatever actions we need to take.” As the group left the EQB, Guadalupe anticipated the people of Vieques would resort to civil disobedience again.