Statement by Senator Dianne Feinstein on Proposed Base Closures in California

Statement by Senator Dianne Feinstein on
Proposed Base Closures in California
May 13, 2005
pdf version

“Overall, looking back at prior base closure rounds, California dodged a bullet. However, I remain very concerned about those communities that face closure or down-sizing and will do all I can to soften the blow.

We must also remain vigilant to ensure that the BRAC Commission does not close any additional bases because of pressure from other states.

I also still have very serious questions about the timing of this new round of closures. We are still at war and face growing threats from military expansion and nuclear proliferation in the Asian-Pacific region and the increasing dangers of the post 9/11 world.

According to the Pentagon’s new proposal, California will face a net loss of 2,018 jobs as a result of the proposed closure of 11 military facilities plus a number of significant realignments. In the last four rounds, California lost 29 of its bases and eight were realigned, resulting in the elimination of 93,000 jobs.

Perhaps the most significant proposed closures in the new round are the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona, with 892 jobs and the Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, with 278 jobs. And those hurt most by realignment were Naval Base Ventura County, losing 1,534 jobs, and Naval Medical Center San Diego, with 1,630 job losses. We need to look at these proposals very closely and discuss the impact with local and state representatives.

The Los Angeles Air Force Base and the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, which were considered potential closure targets are to remain open. This is very good news for California. There are also some gains – and the largest of these is the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake , which would gain 2,469 jobs and the Naval Air Station, San Diego will have a net gain of 1,170 jobs.

From the very beginning, the military base closure process has been deeply flawed. Transfer of closed bases has been slow and cumbersome. Environmental clean-up difficult. Each base is handled separately. It is a gut-wrenching process for local communities and those of us in Congress who want to help them.

I believe the Pentagon’s analysis of cost savings is faulty. There is enough money available to remediate the environmental damage. And the cost of this remediation, to the best of my knowledge, still exceeds the savings that could be gained from closure.

Only about half of the 72,000 acres that were closed in California during the earlier BRAC rounds have been conveyed to local authorities for reuse. And it will cost about $2 billion to complete clean-up of previously closed bases in California. This huge cost is 59 percent of total for all remaining bases nationwide, and it does not include the additional cost for perchlorate clean-up.

In fact, five of the previously closed military bases in California are on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund list of the 10 most toxic waste sites including: Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Fort Ord, Mather Air Force Base, Moffett Naval Air Station, and McClellan Air Force Base.

As Ranking Member of the Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee, I face the issue of the environmental mitigation of closed bases on a regular basis. The Pentagon is simply not providing enough funds on an expedited basis to enable local communities to reuse closed bases.”

Note: Attached is a list of closures and realignment for California

BRAC 2005
Closures and Realignment Impacts to California

Installation	Action	Out		In		Net Gain/(Loss)		Net Mission Contractor	Total Direct
Installation	Action	Mil	Civ	Mil	Civ	Mil	Civ	Net Mission Contractor	Total Direct
Armed Forces Reserve Center Bell	Close	(72)	0	48	0	(24)	0	0	(24)
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Oakland	Close	0	(50)	0	0	0	(50)	0	(50)
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, San Bernardino	Close	0	(120)	0	0	0	(120)	0	(120)
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, San Diego	Close	(3)	(237)	0	0	(3)	(237)	0	(240)
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Seaside	Close	(10)	(51)	0	0	(10)	(51)	0	(61)
Naval Support Activity Corona	Close	(6)	(886)	0	0	(6)	(886)	0	(892)
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Det Concord	Close	0	(71)	0	0	0	(71)	0	(71)
Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center, Encino	Close	(33)	0	0	0	(33)	0	0	(33)
Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center, Los Angeles	Close	(48)	0	0	0	(48)	0	0	(48)
Onizuka Air Force Station	Close	(107)	(171)	0	0	(107)	(171)	0	(278)
Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant	Close	0	(4)	0	0	0	(4)	(85)	(89)
Leased Space - CA	Close/Realign	(2)	(14)	0	0	(2)	(14)	0	(16)
AFRC Moffett Field	Gain	0	0	87	166	87	166	0	253
Channel Islands Air Guard Station	Gain	0	0	4	15	4	15	0	19
Edwards Air Force Base	Gain	(14)	0	23	42	9	42	0	51
Fort Hunter Liggett	Gain	0	0	25	18	25	18	0	43
Fresno Air Terminal	Gain	0	0	57	254	57	254	0	311
Marine Corps Base Miramar	Gain	(46)	(3)	87	34	41	31	0	72
Marine Corps Reserve Center Pasadena CA	Gain	0	0	25	0	25	0	0	25
Naval Air Station Lemore	Gain	(39)	0	44	35	5	35	0	40
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake	Gain	(44)	(14)	198	2,329	154	2,315	0	2,469
Naval Base Point Loma	Gain	(12)	(341)	312	350	300	9	0	309
Naval Station San Diego	Gain	(1)	(2)	1,085	86	1,084	84	2	1,170
Vandenburg Air Force Base	Gain	0	0	44	101	44	101	0	145
Beale Air Force Base	Realign	(8)	(171)	0	0	(8)	(171)	0	(179)
Camp Parks (91st)	Realign	(25)	(18)	0	0	(25)	(18)	0	(43)
Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin	Realign	0	(31)	0	0	0	(31)	0	(31)
Human Resources Support Center Southwest	Realign	0	(164)	0	0	0	(164)	0	(164)
Los Alamitos (63rd)	Realign	(92)	(78)	0	0	(92)	(78)	0	(170)
March Air Reserve Base	Realign	(71)	(44)	0	4	(71)	(40)	0	(111)
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton	Realign	(145)	(6)	0	7	(145)	1	0	(144)
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow	Realign	(140)	(330)	0	0	(140)	(330)	51	(419)
Naval Base Coronado	Realign	(71)	(587)	0	198	(71)	(389)	0	(460)
Naval Base Ventura City	Realign	(244)	(2,149)	5	854	(239)	(1,295)	0	(1,534)
Naval Medical Center San Diego	Realign	(1,596)	(33)	0	0	(1,596)	(33)	(1)	(1,630)
Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook	Realign	0	(118)	0	0	0	(118)	0	(118)
Total		(2,829)	(5,693)	2,044	4,493	(785)	(1,200)	(33)	(2,018)

This list does not include locations where there were no changes in military or civilian jobs.

Military figures include student load changes.