Extensions of Remarks E709 HON. ANÍBAL ACEVEDO-VILA
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April 29, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E709 Representatives FARR, HONDA, LANTOS, ON THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY fected their peace, health, well-being and live- LOFGREN and STARK, I rise to honor California OF THE U.S. NAVY’S DEPARTURE lihood. That achievement is a testament to the State Senator Byron Sher, one of the most FROM VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO resilience and perseverance of the highly respected legislators in California, who, ´ Viequenses and their allies. That resilience after representing San Mateo, Santa Clara HON. ANI´BAL ACEVEDO-VILA and perseverance is now needed to make sure that the lands are fully and promptly and Santa Cruz Counties in the California OF PUERTO RICO cleaned up and decontaminated. The legacy State Legislature for nearly a quarter century, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of contamination and health crisis in Vieques will retire. Senator Sher will be honored on Fri- Thursday, April 29, 2004 must end. day, April 30, 2004 by the Santa Clara County Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA´ . Mr. Speaker, 1 rise The Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Sila Democratic Party for his career of extraor- today to commemorate the one-year anniver- Caldero´n, has requested that Vieques—and dinary public service. sary, this Saturday, May 1st, 2004, of the U.S. the island of Culebra—be included in the Na- Byron Sher graduated from Washington Uni- Navy’s departure from the island of Vieques, tional Priorities List under the Superfund law. versity, St. Louis, and earned a law degree Puerto Rico. That request is currently under consideration from Harvard Law School in 1952. He held Puerto Ricans have played a pivotal role in by the Office of Management and Budget. academic teaching positions in law at South- the national defense of the United States. The Once the relevant areas are designated for ern Methodist University, the University of people of Vieques, Puerto Rico, in particular, clean up and decontamination, the necessary bore over 60 years of bombing with everything Southern California, Harvard Law School, funds must be appropriated to make sure that from napalm to depleted uranium. In the Stanford Law School, and was a Fulbright Re- the clean up and decontamination is con- 1940’s, about two-thirds of their land was oc- ducted fully and promptly. Unnecessary delays search Scholar in New Zealand. His elective cupied by the U.S. Navy to make way for a in the clean up process and insufficient fund- public service spans from serving on the Palo bombing range on the eastern part of the is- ing would only exacerbate the health crisis Alto City Council with two terms as Mayor, to land and a weapons depot on the western part suffered by Viequenses. service on the San Francisco Bay Conserva- of the island. Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate the one- tion and Development Commission, the Com- The movement to get the U.S. Navy out of year anniversary of the Navy’s departure from mittee on Environmental Quality for the Na- Vieques was in existence for many years. But the beautiful island of Vieques, we are proud tional League of Cities, and the League of the tragic death of Viequense David Sanes of the victory achieved by the Viequenses and California Cities. Rodrı´guez on April 19, 1999 as a result of two their allies in a peaceful struggle for peace stray bombs dropped on the Observation Post and justice for the close to 10,000 residents of In November, 1980, Byron Sher was elected in Vieques, contributed to galvanize the move- Vieques. At the same time, we are mindful to the California State Assembly where he ment beyond partisan affiliations and political that the agenda for complete peace and jus- served with distinction as the acknowledged ideologies. That struggle reached its fruition tice in Vieques is still inconclusive. We will leader of environmental policy for over fifteen with the U.S. Navy’s departure from Vieques continue to work towards completing this years. In 1996, he was elected to the Cali- on May 1, 2003. It is important to note that the agenda. I am counting on my colleagues’ sup- fornia State Senate in a special election to Navy has recently indicated that the replace- port in doing so. represent the 11th Senate District which cur- ment training scenario for the Atlantic Fleet is CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, rently spans three counties and stretches from as good if not better than the training con- Washington, DC, March 8, 2001. Hon. GEORGE W. BUSH, San Carlos in the north to the City of Santa ducted on Vieques. This realization is well re- ceived by those who called for the cessation President of the United States of America, The Cruz in the South, and which borders on both of training on Vieques. White House, Washington, DC. San Francisco and Monterey Bays. The victory in Vieques is a victory first and DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: For the last 60 years the U.S. Navy has been conducting military During his tenure in the California State foremost of the Viequenses. Yet it is also a operations in two-thirds of the island of Legislature, Byron Sher expanded his reputa- victory of Puerto Ricans in the Island, in the Vieques, Puerto Rico. From the beginning, tion as the foremost expert on environmental U.S., and of many non-Puerto Rican elected such operations have caused concern because issues. He is the first Chairman of the Senate officials, civic, community, labor and religious of their consequences on the people, the en- Environmental Quality Committee, as well as leaders and activists who participated in the vironment, and the economy. The tragic death on April 19, 1999 of David Sanes- the author of landmark laws to protect our en- struggle, organized marches, rallies, and lob- bying initiatives. Many were arrested for Rodrı´guez, a Vieques resident, during a vironment and serve as legislative models for peaceful civil disobedience in support for training exercise, brought to the forefront of the Puerto Rican national and international the rest of the nation. Among the laws he has peace in Vieques. authored are the California Clean Air Act, the communities the health, environment, and I am proud to say that many of my fellow the violation of human and civil rights of the Integrated Waste Management Act, and the Members of Congress participated in this im- residents of that Island. Safe Drinking Water Act. He has strengthened portant initiative for peace in Vieques. For in- The People of Vieques have a mortality the State’s timber regulations with his Surface stance, on March 8, 2001, 110 Members of rate 40 percent higher than that of Puerto Mining and Reclamation Act and he has been Congress signed a letter to President Bush Rico, a 27 percent higher risk of dying from at the forefront of computer recycling pro- calling for the immediate and permanent ces- cancer, and a 70 percent higher risk of dying sation of military practices in Vieques. from diabetes. At the same time, Vieques’ grams to ensure that the dangerous byprod- natural resources and environment have ucts of the information age, such as mercury, Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the March been seriously damaged by the continuous don’t contaminate our landfills and water sup- 8, 2001, letter from these 110 Members of bombing and shelling, which have left heavy plies. Senator Sher also authored the Nation’s Congress to President Bush into the RECORD toxic metals in the environment. The is- at this time. On behalf of the people of Puerto first law to prevent toxic contamination of land’s economy has also been affected be- Rico, I thank these Members of Congress for cause Vieques has not been able to develop water supplies from leaking underground stor- their support for peace in Vieques, and I urge to its full potential as a direct result of the age tanks. Virtually all his legislation is consid- them and my other colleagues to join me in U.S. Navy’s presence. In sum, the situation ered the gold standard for environmental con- working towards finishing the inconclusive of Vieques has become an issue of health, en- servation and protection laws in our country. vironmental protection, and human and civil agenda for the people of Vieques. The imme- rights. In spite of all of these concerns, the Mr. Speaker, we’re proud to call Byron Sher diate task at hand is ensuring the adequate, U.S. Navy is determined to continue using our friend and our colleague in public service. full and prompt clean up and decontamination Vieques for bombing exercises. This quiet, humble, decent and brilliant man is of the lands and surrounding waters of This issue has transcended political party and ideological lines in Puerto Rico. Leaders a source of great pride to the Democratic Vieques. Although the Navy has left Vieques, much from all sectors of society agree that the Party, to our mutual constituents, to all Califor- remains to be done before the residents of bombing and shelling must end. At the same nians and to our entire Nation. We ask our Vieques have the peace and justice they de- time, in the United States, the Senate of the State of New Jersey, led by. the Republicans, colleagues to join us in honoring and thanking serve. When the Navy left Vieques and trans- Senator Sher for his lifetime of extraordinary approved a resolution, by unanimity, re- ferred the lands on the eastern part of questing the immediate cessation of the service to California and our country. Because Vieques to the U.S.