Board reverses support for federal training site

[frog92969]

Board reverses support for federal training site
By KONRAD SUROWIEC Staff Writer
http://www.recordobserver.com/articles/2009/12/31/news/106902.txt

Published: Thursday, December 31, 2009 6:39 AM CST

CENTREVILLE At least four of the five Queen Anne's County Commissioners now oppose the large security training complex the federal government wants to build on about 2,000 acres near state routes 304 and 481 in Ruthsburg.

Meanwhile the U.S. General Services Administration has scheduled two public meetings on the project on Tuesday, Jan. 5, and Thursday, Jan. 7, both from 6 to 8 p.m. at Queen Anne's County High School.

The commissioners' decision to withdraw their support for the proposed Foreign Affairs Security Training Center came at their Dec. 22 meeting, following a 40-minute conference call with two federal officials, one from the GSA and one from the U.S. State Department. Roughly 100 people attended the meeting, and more than 30 citizens spoke in opposition to the project. County Chief Operating Officer Gregg Todd read a statement which cited an "information vacuum" and lack of timely communication from the federal agencies as reasons the commissioners should withdraw their support for the project. Commissioners Gene Ransom, Paul Gunther, Carol Fordonski and Dr. Eric Wargotz passed a motion to withdraw the board's support. Commissioner Courtney Billups was absent.

.......

The memo said the training specified in the RFP that raised concerns included: advanced weapons skills training (live fire medium machine guns, grenade launcher and familiarization with heavy machine guns; training using live fire .50-caliber and 40mm grenade launcher; an outdoor range (high explosive dud producing impact area) suitable for training with high explosives and high explosives dual purpose ammunition; helicopter operations; and surveillance detection.


http://www.recordobserver.com/articles/2009/12/31/news/106902.txt
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This is where I grew up.
My parent's house would share a property line with the main part this facility.
As would at least two miles of state park.

[hardtoport]

1. NIMBY

This shouldn't be in anyone's back yard, for that matter.

If you ask me, the State Department and the Pentagon are becoming indistinguishable from one another. The State Department would be better served by spending more time working on their diplomatic skills and less time working to cover up the slaughter of innocent civilians by the mercenaries they've hired as bodyguards. Sorry, but they don't call it diplomacy when it is conducted from behind a grenade launcher.

[frog92969]

2. Cowboy Diplomacy

And those mercenaries aren't just bodyguards, they do a fair bit of the training.

They seem to be hand in hand with the State Department,
I don't see why they wouldn't be in Ruthsburg.

I recently found news of others backing off(?) their support, I'll post below in this thread.

[frog92969]

3. Mikulski Mad About State Dept Center

http://www.chestertownspy.com/2010/01/mikulski-mad-about-state-dept-center/

Posted by John Lang on January 11, 2010

Senator Barbara Mikulski is demanding that federal officials extend the time for public comment on the State Department training facility that has raised a storm of controversy in Queen Anne’s County.

Just three days after the public hearing intended to quiet protests, Mikulski wrote a blistering letter to the head of the General Services Administration that basically accuses GSA and State Department officials with being lazy and incompetent – and with sabotaging their own project.

“They displayed a shocking, inexcusable and inexplicable lack of preparation, which has resulted in threats of lawsuits, widespread anger and what I fear is now an implacable opposition to the project,” Mikulski wrote on Friday.

She said their “disastrous lack of preparation” and their “dismissive attitude” revealed very plainly their “unconscionable lack of respect for our democratic process.”

more:
http://www.chestertownspy.com/2010/01/mikulski-mad-about-state-dept-center/
similar at:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/mikulski-writes-gsa-about-eshore-training-center-81098807.html

(The Letter)
http://www.goeaston.net/~stardem/MikulskiLetter.pdf

I can't seem to be able to copy from this pdf.

[frog92969]

4. Official Statement from Rep. Frank Kratovil Regarding Proposed State Department Training Facility in

http://kratovil.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&parentid=21§iontree=21,22&itemid=346

01/08/10

“On September 2nd my office was contacted by the office of the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners alerting me that a location within the county was under consideration for this training facility and requesting my immediate support of the project on behalf of the citizens of the County.
I subsequently received a formal request signed by all five commissioners, as well as similar requests from the town of Centreville, members of the county’s State Delegation, and numerous civic and business leaders asking for my assistance in bringing this facility to our county.
I was happy to do so with the understanding that there would be a robust public outreach process to inform area residents about the impacts of the facility and take their concerns into account during the planning process.
To date, I have been deeply disappointed with this process, which was delayed for far too long and has produced widespread confusion among county residents about the nature and impact of this facility.
As this process moves forward, I will continue to work with local elected officials and stakeholders to ensure that their voices are being heard. I will not be able to continue support for this project if the valid concerns of area residents are not addressed and resolved, or if the local elected officials who initially requested my assistance no longer support the project themselves.”

[frog92969]

6. Rep. Kratovil opposes plans for Ruthsburg

Rep. Kratovil opposes plans for Ruthsburg
http://wordpress.centreville-md.net/?p=1701#more-1701

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Md.-1st, said the congressman will actively oppose the proposed federal security training facility in Ruthsburg after speaking in person to county commissioners and confirming their opposition to the project.

The statement followed a Tuesday (2010-01-12) morning visit to Kratovil’s Centreville office by about 30 people, some carrying placards and voicing strong opposition to the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center proposed for 2,000 acres near state routes 304 and 481 in Ruthsburg.

Jay Falstad of the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association said he told residents attending an earlier Queen Anne’s County commission meeting Tuesday that citizens opposed to the project planned to pay Kratovil’s district office an impromptu visit. Residents, a number of whom said they live within close proximity to the proposed facility, filled a small conference room and demanded that Kratovil meet with them and pledge his opposition to the facility.
“We’re not willing to sacrifice the lifestyle that we came here for,” said Janette Ruggerio, who lives within two miles of the Ruthsburg site. If Kratovil doesn’t heed the concerns of area residents, Ruggerio said, “he will pay the price” in a bid for re-election this year.

Kratovil Community Liaison Mike Thomas met with those gathered and took notes until District Outreach Director Tyler Patton arrived. At the request of Falstad and others eager to speak to Kratovil immediately, Patton said he attempted to arrange a conference call, but was unable to reach the congressman, who he said had a meeting and votes to attend in Washington.

Kratovil spokesman Kevin Lawlor said the county commissioners had previously communicated their support for the project directly to the congressman. “One of the major reasons he got behind the project was because of county commissioners, who wrote in a letter and contact him by phone and in person,” Lawlor said.

more at (subscription only):
http://www.stardem.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/108216.txt

[frog92969]

5. QACA files formal complaint against GSA

http://wordpress.centreville-md.net/?p=1643

Queen Anne`s Conservation Association today formally asked the Inspector General of the General Services Administration (IG/GSA) to examine the decision-making process that led to Ruthsburg being chosen as the preferred site for the proposed Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC).

In a six-page letter to the IG/GSA from Jay Falstad, QACA Director of Communications, the conservation group detailed facts and circumstances giving rise to what it described as the appearance that “the federal decision-making process on the siting of FASTC . . . has been improperly conducted and subjected to improper influences.”

(The Letter)

January10,2010
Mr. Brian D. Miller
Inspector General
United States General Services Administration
1800F StreetNW
Washington,DC 20405

Dear Inspector General Miller;

I'm writing to request that the Inspector General initiate a thorough examination of the
decision-making process by which a proposed Department of State security facility was
directed towards the town of Ruthsburg,in Queen Anne's County MD, as the "preferred
site" for the proposed Foreign Affairs Security Training center (FASTC).

The evidence presented in this letter suggests that the federal decision-making process on
the siting of FASTC, beginning in June of 2009 (and perhaps earlier) and continuing
today, has been improperly conducted and subjected to improper influences. The
appearance exists that the process has been systematically manipulated to exclude
meaningful participation by the public, especially those local residents most directly
affected, in order to reach a pre-determined result without regard to environmental and
other applicable policy considerations.

Specifically, the appearance exists that sometime after June of 2009, but before any
public participation or consideration of environmental impacts, a decision was reached to
site the FASTC at a location selected on a basis other than the merits of the site as
determined under the laws of the United States and the policies of the present
Administration. We recognize that some of the officials making and implementing the
decision, as well as some elected officials, may not have been informed (or were actually
misinformed) about FASTC and its impacts. Nevertheless, the extent this occurred,as to
appears to be the case,the decision is in violation of the spirit and letter of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), among other procedural and substantive policy
commitments of the federal government. Accordingly, this request for an examination is
also being copied to the Environmental Protection Agency for its consideration as well
as to the Inspector General of the Department of State.

As a citizen, I hope that the appearances will tum out to have been deceiving and that the
decision-making process on where to site the FASTC has not, in fact, been corrupted.
But the appearances there and an examination is required to restore the public trust are
and insure accountability. At the conclusion of this letter, I will venture to suggest,on
behalf of QueenAnne's Conservation Association, what I believe the results of your office's
examination will show as to how the FASTC site selection process should be restarted.

the rest:
http://cgc.centreville-md.net/HuntRay/QACAigComplaint100111.pdf