Nick Rahall: “There are exemptions in current law that the DOD can exercise whenever it finds conditions where national security…”

“There are exemptions in current law that the DOD can exercise whenever it finds conditions where national security warrants such exemptions to any environmental laws. To this date, in all reports that we have asked for, we have not seen where DOD has asked to utilize the current exemptions allowed under current law. As we all know, our forces did a tremendous job in Iraq. We on this side of the aisle support our troops as strongly as those on the other side of the aisle, as strongly as all Americans do, and we praise the very effective job that they did. And we would add that they did it under current law. The briefings that I have had, the briefings that I have attended for all Members of Congress, even the briefing I had with General Franks in Dohar a month or so ago, none of those briefings listed any problems that our military had with current law or the exemptions that they have to use under current law that would have in any way endangered our commanders or our military in their preparations of our troops for combat readiness, as they have been so well trained. I say the current language works.”