NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER
Worries Raised Over Expansion
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Members of Maryland's congressional delegation sent a letter to the Defense Department yesterday objecting to a recommendation that the Pentagon accelerate or waive an environmental study for a planned expansion of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
The recommendation was made by the Independent Review Group investigating shortcomings in the long-term care of veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The group, which submitted its final report yesterday to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, said the expansion of the Bethesda facility should be accelerated so the Army hospital in the District can be closed as quickly as possible.
The letter, addressed to Gates and signed by Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, all Democrats, said that accelerating or waiving the environmental impact study would be "a short-sighted approach that would create long-term problems" for the expanded facility.
A second letter to Gates, signed by all nine members of the Montgomery County Council, said it was "not acceptable" to move forward with the project without a study addressing residents' concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety, noise and air quality.
Mobile
Email