BlogTheCoast.com brought to you by Seacoast Online

« Sununu guarded on yard’s fate | Main | Navy cancels yard visit »

August 05, 2005

Anger stems from plan to assess yard closure costs

During what was slated to be another feel-good show of community support for the embattled Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Thursday, shipyard Metal Trades Council President Paul O’Connor dropped a bombshell.

O’Connor said that just prior to leaving the shipyard for the news conference at Portsmouth City Hall, he and other workers were told that Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment Wayne Arny would be visiting the yard next week. Arny’s mission in visiting Portsmouth, O’Connor said he was told, was to evaluate the yard’s facilities and the environmental costs of closure.

The union president noted the decision to close the yard had not yet been made by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission or approved by President Bush and Congress.

"Mr. Arny’s visit to the yard at this time is callous and divisive," O’Connor said. "It reeks of pre-decision-making and once again brings into question the activities of the Department of Defense."

O’Connor wondered why the Pentagon could not wait the three weeks until the BRAC Commission compiles the recommendations it will make to the president before sending Arny not only to the Portsmouth, but to the Brunswick Naval Air Station in Maine and the submarine base in New London, Conn. The Pentagon has recommended all three facilities for closure or major downsizing.

"He is not working for BRAC, he is working for the Navy," O’Connor said. "This is not an assessment of data. (Arny’s) function is to implement the BRAC decisions, so why do this before those decisions are made?"

Navy spokeswoman Lt. Christine Ventresca confirmed that Arny would be visiting Portsmouth, but she declined to say when. O’Connor believes it will be Tuesday.

"Mr. Arny expects to visit a variety of bases in the Northeast to discuss the mission of the bases and various installation and environmental issues," Ventresca said. "The BRAC process is still ongoing, and no final decisions will be made until fact-finding by the commission, the president and Congress is complete."

The Navy’s Web site says Arny’s duties include oversight of environmental programs. That encompasses conservation of natural and cultural programs, clean up of contaminated sites and pollution prevention of installation and facilities programs, including BRAC disposal.

By Shir Haberman
shaberman@seacoastonline.com

Also from Today's Herald:
Messages of shipyard support
In yet another indication of the amount of community support for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Mayor Evelyn Sirrell on Thursday handed U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., petitions containing approximately 1,000 signatures and 400 letters urging the president to save the local shipyard.

Posted by admin at August 5, 2005 09:32 AM

Comments

As a result of our community awareness and involvement this visit by a DOD closure specialist has been cancelled. It shows all the more how our continued involvement is extremely important and why we need a HUGE showing at the Save Our Shipyard Family Picnic Aug 13. Next Saturday from 2-5pm at the Pease Tradeport. No grills please. See you there!

Posted by: Dave D at August 6, 2005 10:06 AM