Description
Book SynopsisState and local governments in the United States are increasingly being called upon to deal with the problems associated with defense downsizing and environmental damage caused by the military. What is unknown to many people is that the government pollutes as much as, if not more than, any large corporation. Of the 116 federal facilities on the EPA''s hit list of most polluted sites in the United States in the early 1990s, 95 were military installations. The military is responsible for cleaning up its abandoned bases before the public can use the property. Moreover, the cleanup will cost tens of billions of dollars to U.S. taxpayers. In The Greening of Pentagon Brownfields, Kenneth N. Hansen explores how states and localities have increased their institutional capacities to deal with the unanticipated consequences of federal downsizing and pollution at military bases in the 1990s. His rigorous methodologyincluding analysis of personal interviews, comparative case studies, government documents, base conversion surveys, and data from the Congressional Budget Officemakes this project both a useful model for other research studies and an indispensable contemporary history.
Trade ReviewKenneth Hansen has produced an interesting assessment of how states and localitites have increased their institutionalcapacities to deal with the unanticipated consequences of federal downsizing and pollution at military bases in the 1990s. . . . Hansen provides a rich, detailed, and comprehensive history of the base closing processes during the 1990s, highlighted by specific information derived from personal experience, a working knowledge of the policymaking process, and in-depth interviews of key personnel. * Perspectives of Politics *
Hansen shows with great precision the reality of economic development and environmental policymaking in the contemporary American city. This punchy volume should be required reading for all city officials and politicians who believe that building shopping malls and chasing sports teams constitutes the full extent of their responsibilities. -- Andrew Kirby, author of The Pentagon and the Cities
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Environmental Orthodoxy Chapter 3 Policy Implementation Alternatives Chapter 4 The Base Conversion Process and Developmental Variables Chapter 5 Pentagon Brownfields and Green Redevelopment Chapter 6 Conclusion
