GAO: Environmental Compliance Does Not Hinder Training

Compliance with environmental laws does not prevent military units from training for combat, according to a March 7 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). But more study is needed in some critical areas, such as the debate between the Navy and environmental advocates over the use of sonar and possible adverse effects on marine mammals, the GAO report states. In many cases, when units need to train in areas that need protection, they simply designate those areas as restricted, "holy," or mine fields. Also, when a service needs an exemption, such as the Navy did in 2006 on two occasions, environmental impact was minimal. The GAO hailed bases’ efforts to protect wildlife and natural resources. But the Defense Department still needs to better prove that exemptions to the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, are necessary. "Until DoD develops a business case demonstrating the need for these exemptions, Congress will lack a sound basis for assessing whether to enact requested exemptions," the GAO states.