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- # Addressing Concerns and Proposing Solutions
## Overview
This entity is a textual segment from a speech delivered by President William Jefferson Clinton on November 29, 1999, concerning U.S. Navy training operations on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The segment spans lines 447 to 532 of the full document and forms a key section of [Vieques Remarks](arke:01KG2TSWADQKM6FJC6H5J03W80), a formal statement issued in response to public outcry following a fatal accident at the Navy’s Vieques training range. The text outlines a four-part plan to resolve the conflict between national defense needs and the long-standing grievances of Vieques residents.
## Context
The segment follows [Addressing Past Wrongs](arke:01KG2TTKAA4MPZ781CBBCEG1BX), which acknowledges decades of neglect and harm caused by military activities, and precedes [Acknowledgments](arke:01KG2TTKHFDSZ2MNRQS3FY1ZN1). It is part of a broader effort by the Clinton administration to balance national security imperatives with Puerto Rican civic concerns. The speech was prompted by the April 1999 death of civilian security guard David Sanes, which intensified demands for the Navy’s withdrawal. President Clinton commissioned a panel at the request of Puerto Rican leaders, including Governor Pedro Rosselló and Resident Commissioner Carlos Romero-Barceló, to develop a compromise.
## Contents
This segment details a phased plan to end Navy training on Vieques over five years. It includes four main components: (1) ceasing live-fire exercises and phasing out all training, with land transfers to Puerto Rico beginning immediately; (2) limiting training to inert ordnance during the transition; (3) reducing training days from 182 to 90 annually; and (4) addressing economic, health, and environmental concerns through infrastructure projects and a public health study. The plan emphasizes community self-determination, proposing a referendum for residents to decide the island’s future. President Clinton appeals for cooperation, recognizing historical distrust while affirming the military’s need for realistic training and honoring Puerto Rico’s contributions to U.S. national defense.
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- Addressing Concerns and Proposing Solutions
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- 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
My fellow citizens: Six months ago, there was a tragic accident at the Navy range on
Vieques. Hillary and I were greatly saddened by the loss to the family of David Sanes (SAN-
ness), and the suffering of the others injured that day. We remembered them in our prayers
on Thanksgiving.
That terrible accident focused attention on the longstanding concerns of residents of the
island about training operations there. These concerns cover a wide range of issues – from
safety and health to the economy and the environment. They reflect a distrust that,
unfortunately, has been building for decades.
The accident led to a strong view in the Commonwealth that the Navy should end its training
operations in Vieques. I understand that view. I understand how much those of you who live
near the firing range are concerned for your safety, and the safety of your children. I
understand the feeling that the people of Vieques will never be able to fully build their
economy or improve their quality of life if the situation doesn't change.
At the same time, as Commander in Chief, I cannot send American servicemen and women
into harm's way if they have not been adequately trained. I know that Puerto Ricans
understand that as well as anybody. Puerto Rico has a proud heritage of sending its sons and
daughters to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. You have never turned your
back on your duty to share in the burden of defending our country. Some of you have even
trained on Vieques.
Since 1941, every action that our Atlantic fleet has been involved in started in Vieques first.
It's no accident that our nation lost no pilots in Kosovo. The training they received there
helped save lives. The reason this is such a difficult issue is because right now, some of this
training can only be done on Vieques. There is now comparable alternative. As President,
while I want to fix this problem as quickly as possible, as Commander-in-Chief I recognize
that we can't fix the problem overnight.
At the request of Governor Rossello and Resident Commissioner Romero-Barcelo, I asked
Defense Secretary Cohen to convene a group of distinguished citizens to come up with a plan
that addresses the concerns of the people of Vieques while meeting the national security
needs of our nation. The Panel found that we have not always been good neighbors on
Vieques and recommended that we work toward replacing Vieques in five years and reduce
training involving bombing to 130 days a year.
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Starting today, things are going to be different. I am announcing a course of action that would end live fire on Vieques, and commit to phasing out all training there. I will be directing the Defense Department to take concrete, and immediate steps to address the local community's concerns, while also giving our armed forces the time they need to transition to an alternative training site. Let me be very clear: during the transition period, the rules are going to be changing. This isn't just a change in policy - this is the beginning of a whole new relationship between our military and the people of Vieques.
The plan has four parts.
First, I'm ordering the Navy to cease training on Vieques within five years. I have asked the Navy to come up with a specific timetable to phase out operations there, and I am taking personal responsibility to make sure that timeline is met. We intend to begin transferring title to land to Puerto Rico as soon as possible -- beginning with the western quarter of the island. I am also directing the Pentagon to give me alternatives to Vieques training next year and begin to budget for it.
Second, I am ordering that the training done on Vieques during this transition period will be limited to only inert ordnance - no live fire.
Let me emphasize: the Navy will be ready to leave within five years. Only inert ordnance will be used in the transition period. Now, of course, if the people of Vieques decided to continue a relationship with the Navy down the road, on the same or different terms, that is their right.
Third, while the Navy and Marine Corps will resume training on Vieques during the transition period, I have cut in half the amount of time they will spend training. Last year, our troops trained for 182 days on Vieques. Next year, they will be authorized for 90 days, which is what we need to meet our essential training needs.
Finally, we will address the economic, health, and environmental concerns that the community has had for so long. 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 fishermen, expanding and improving roads, a bioluminescent bay preservation program, 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 direct the Pentagon to establish a working group that will include senior officials representing the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. They will work with Vieques officials on all questions relating to the use of the range and coordination of transition issues.
While this plan will meet Puerto Rico's goals, I recognize it will not do so as immediately as some in the islands might have wished. But your voices have been heard, and we are moving as quickly as we can. I believe this is a good compromise that will provide the training necessary to ensure satisfactory Navy and Marine Corps combat readiness while also ensuring the safety and well being of the people of Vieques.
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To make this solution work, I need your help. I hope I can count on your cooperation to implement the measures I have outlined to allow the training of our troops to continue in a more responsible and much more limited manner during this transitional period while addressing the real 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 am very grateful for that. I hope that all of us now can work together, with our Congress, to implement this plan.
Thank you very much.
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- title
- Addressing Concerns and Proposing Solutions