Bob Menendez: “I have been to Vieques, and I have seen the devastating impact of the Navy's live bombing activities on the island. I…”

“I have been to Vieques, and I have seen the devastating impact of the Navy's live bombing activities on the island. I was appalled by the Navy's indifference to the impact it has had on the island and its residents. The Navy's bombing has destroyed the island's once vibrant fishing economy, prohibited development of tourism. The higher incidence of cancer and infant mortality rates suggest that the large quantities of explosives, including radioactivity of depleted uranium shells, have harmed the health of the island's residents. After years of deplorable conduct by the Navy, including violating all agreements with the government of Puerto Rico, the majority would now seek to violate the latest agreement between our respective governments. If what was done in Vieques was done anywhere else in the country, the Navy's operations would have been shut down a long time ago. Requiring the resumption of live bombing ignores the devastating impact of the Navy's activities on this group of Americans, and it is an indication of the second-class citizenship that some apparently assign to the residents of Vieques.”