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- I believe this is the best way to resolve the impasse over Vieques, because it gives the people
most affected by this decision - the people who actually live on the island - the right to
determine for themselves which course of action we should take.
In the meantime, until that vote is held, we are taking several other steps to ensure that our
servicemen and women get the training they need.
First, during the period leading up to the vote, I am ordering that training done on Vieques will
be limited to non-explosive ordnance - meaning there will be no live fire. I am also directing the
Navy and Marine Corps to cut in half the amount of time they will spend training. In 1998, our
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troops trained for 182 days on Vieques. This year, they will be authorized for 90 days, which is what we need to meet our essential training needs.
Second, to meet past wrongs, we will address the economic, health, safety, and environmental concerns that we should have been addressing all along. Measures we will implement include, among other things, development of a new commercial ferry pier and terminal, an artificial reef to create new commercial fishing areas, temporary compensation for fisherman, expanding and improving roads, a bioluminescent bay preservation program, a job training program for young people, providing land to extend the airport runway, and a Public Health Service Study. To ensure these measures are taken – and that the missed opportunities of our 1983 agreement are not repeated – I will ask the Pentagon to establish a working group that will work with Vieques on all questions relating to the use of the range and coordination of these issues.
Third, I will also ask Congress to begin transferring title to land on the western quarter of the island to Puerto Rico.
In the event that the residents of Vieques vote to continue training on the island, we will more than double the investment we make to meet infrastructure and development needs. If they say no, the federal government will also give up the Navy's land on the eastern side of the island, except for the conservation zone, which will be preserved.
To make this solution work, I need your help. I understand the long-held views people have on this issue. I understand that for many residents, the accident re-opened old wounds about the effect that training was having on quality of life. They reflect a distrust that, unfortunately has been building for decades. We have not always been good neighbors on Vieques. We have not always done the right thing. While this solution may not meet local needs as immediately as some people would like, I believe this plan will help resolve the impasse over Vieques. I believe it will do so in the fairest possible way, because it gives the people most affected by this decision the ability to choose for themselves what the future of their island will be.
I hope I can count on the people of Vieques to participate when the vote occurs. I also hope I can count on your cooperation to implement the measure I have outlined to allow the training of our troops to continue in a responsible and much more limited manner during this period while addressing the long-time concerns of the residents of La Isla Nena (la EES-la NEN-ya).
Puerto Ricans and the people of Vieques have contributed greatly to our country's security. And I very grateful for that. I hope that all of us can work together, with our Congress, to implement this plan. Thank you and God Bless You.
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11/29/99 12:00 noon
Re-drafted by Orzulak
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
VIDEO REMARKS TO THE
PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO
CONCERNING NAVY TRAINING ON VIEQUES
NOVEMBER 29, 1999
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