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Military Training: Compliance with Environmental Laws Affects Some Training Activities, but DOD Has Not Made a Sound Business Case for Additional Environmental Exemptions

GAO-08-407 Published: Mar 07, 2008. Publicly Released: Mar 07, 2008.
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Highlights

A fundamental principle of military readiness is that the military must train as it intends to fight, and military training ranges allow the Department of Defense (DOD) to accomplish this goal. According to DOD officials, heightened focus on the application of environmental statutes has affected the use of its training areas. Since 2003, DOD has obtained exemptions from three environmental laws and has sought exemptions from three others. This report discusses the impact, if any, of (1) environmental laws on DOD's training activities and military readiness, (2) DOD's use of statutory exemptions from environmental laws on training activities, (3) DOD's use of statutory exemptions on the environment, and (4) the extent to which DOD has demonstrated the need for additional exemptions. To address these objectives, GAO visited 17 training locations; analyzed environmental impact and readiness reports; and met with officials at service headquarters, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, federal regulatory agencies, and nongovernmental environmental groups.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense Should DOD plan to pursue exemptions from the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or other environmental laws in the future, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment and the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness to jointly develop a sound business case that includes detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses assessing the associated benefits, costs, and risks of the proposed exemptions from environmental laws.
Closed – Implemented
Since the publication of this report, DOD training range officials stated that a sound business case with qualitative and quantitative analysis regarding the benefits, costs, and risks of proposed clarifications to environmental laws is desirable and should be developed in association with future environmental provisions. They also stated that DOD has made no requests for clarification of environmental laws and that there are no foreseen requests on the horizon, further noting that it is unlikely that such a request will be made by DOD.

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Topics

Combat readinessConservation complianceData collectionEndangered speciesEnvironmental lawEnvironmental legislationEnvironmental policiesFishery legislationForest conservationMilitary facilitiesMilitary forcesMilitary trainingEnvironmental protectionEnvironmental monitoringLand management