Tue, Mar. 9, 2004

Pine Bluff Arsenal spared from closure list
Saturday, May 14, 2005

By Alison Vekshin
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Arkansas leaders breathed a sigh of relief Friday when the Pine Bluff Arsenal was spared in a new round of recommended military base closings.

Rather than fall victim to a consolidation wave, the arsenal stands to gain a mission from a new $8.9 million reserves building that would replace an Army Reserve Center in Pine Bluff recommended for closure.

"We're prepared to implement these recommendations," said Larry Wright, civilian executive at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.

In all, the Defense Department recommended closing or reorganizing 62 major bases and 775 minor ones at an expected cost savings of almost $50 billion over 20 years.

Friday's announcement launched a months-long review by an independent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission that will seek input from the affected communities.

The commission will then present its recommendations to President Bush, who in turn would submit them to Congress for approval in a process expected to last through the end of the year.

Once a final list is approved, the Pentagon has between two and six years to close or reorganize the bases.

Among the recommendations is closing the Stone Army Reserve Center and moving its 34 employees to the arsenal as part of an effort to consolidate the nation's more than 4,000 Army Reserve and Guard facilities.

"One of the objectives of BRAC is to retain installations that are capable of accepting multiple missions," Wright said.

Wright warned that the BRAC process had only just begun and the arsenal could still wind up a consolidation target once the commission begins its study.

"This is just the first step," he said. "There's always a possibility (the arsenal) can still end up on the list."

Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said the arsenal may have been spared because of its white phosphorus plant, which recently received $24 million for upgrades and is the only one of its kind in the country. It produces a flammable chemical used in artillery.

He also pointed to the $500 million incinerator that in March began destroying the 3,850 tons of aging chemical weapons stored at the arsenal.

"It's a well-run installation and we've made good federal investments there over the years," added Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, also welcomed the news.

"The fact that the Pine Bluff Arsenal was not on this list today sends a very strong message that the Pine Bluff Arsenal will continue to have important and unique missions and will continue to put people to work in Pine Bluff long after the incineration process is over," Ross said.

Jim Crider, president of The Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County, said he was pleased to see the arsenal escape the list.

The addition of the Armed Forces Reserve Center "will represent an investment on the arsenal premises," Crider said. "It's tantamount to a mission gain out there to have the additional presence and additional investment."

Crider said the alliance, which essentially is Pine Bluff's chamber of commerce, has been working for two years to reinforce the arsenal against the BRAC process, including hiring a team of Washington lobbyists.

"The lobbyists helped us to understand the more finite points of the review process," he said.

One of the lobbyists, John Simmons, said the arsenal was aided by its high military value, a major criteria used to evaluate installations.

"The two-year effort paid off," said Simmons, senior adviser at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP.

"We are 90 percent there," he said. "We survived the big hit."

He said the team would keep working to position the arsenal for additional missions.

"We're happy, but we also know this isn't the end of the process," Simmons said. "There is a lot of realignment going on and there may be opportunities as the BRAC commission reviews those to have some of that work brought to the Pine Bluff Arsenal."