The cleanup at Iceland’s Keflavik airport military base has begun. Mbl.is reports that the former American base features Pcb polluted walls and buildings constructed with asbestos.
The Pcb walls are being burnt in a specially equipped incineration plant and the asbestos buildings are being demolished.
Kjartan Thor Eiriksson, head of the Keflavik Airport Development Company told mbl that the initial findings suggest that there may be a lot less contamination on the site than had first been feared. Nonetheless, he estimates the cleanup will cost the Icelandic state ISK 2-4 billion (USD 17,500,000 – 35,000,000).
And will the bill be forwarded to the US military?…
To Olafur, I suggest that the bill be footed by the residents that are benefitting from the low cost rent that the other facilities and housing units are being used for. Otherwise, quit crying you made out in the deal big time, the base itself is worth hundreds of millions.
Iceland will pay for the clean up as they have already agreed to in 2006.
“…leading to the conclusion that Iceland will take possession of and get to use significant infrastructure facilities at Keflavík Airport. There are no imminent pollution problems, but once clean-up of polluted areas commences, it will be the responsibility of Iceland in accordance with Icelandic standards and over such a period of time as is suitable for ourselves to engage in such a work.”
http://eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is/news-and-articles/nr/2385
I have suggested to Kjartan how to clean it up, but he has not responded.
Sure Iceland can bill the US military, but then allow the US to bill Iceland for the buildings on the base, building the runways at their international airport and maintaining them for 50 years and do forget the US paying for 3 of their hydro electric plants built after the war. I think Iceland made out pretty well from the Base and from the US government it employed many Icelanders and Iceland got their largest construction firm IAV millions of dollars over the years. So don’t complain their are quite a number of buildings in Reykjavik with asbestos, etc.
Just like them, leave the mess for someone else to worry about. Hey, the states are passing a stimulus package, maybe some of our representatives in Washington can apply for a super fund clean up option, since it was them (NATO/U:S) and not us that left this nasty situation.
This has happened in so many places around the world and in the U.S; Wherever the U.S. has set up shop, a real trend of either lack of caring, or arrogance.
Out of sight and out of mind.
It makes my blood boil!
@Olafur – Meow
Just so you know, Iceland asked the US for the buildings intact. Iceland desired this and agreed that they would do the cleanup required. If Iceland had not asked for this then the US military would have cleaned the area just as they had planned.
Yes there is actually full up procedures for this type of thing. What that would entail is the the US Military would have demolished all buildings and structures as well as removing all underground cabling and filling in all piping. Even roads could have been removed. Then the military would have destroyed or shipped away all rubbish. The ground would have be sanitized and topsoil replaced.
Basically the military could have left you a really nice field. However this is not what Iceland wanted. So Iceland said they would do the cleanup so they could keep the structures, roads, etc…
So do some math. What is the cost of cleanup? What is the value of the buildings, roads, and less we forget the actual runway?
If you still think this is a horrible travisty, then talk to the Icelandic politicians. You know the ones. It is the same guys that brought you the Kreppa.
>It makes my blood boil!
What about the points john raises?
“the military base became an important part of the Icelandic economy, quickly accounting for almost 10 percent of the national income and 20 percent of foreign currency receipts.”
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3690364/U-S-Icelandic-defense-relations.html
Hey, just saw something funny in that article. Remind you of anything :) . Mind you, I don’t know how impartial that article is – it paints Iceland as a ungrateful, a bigot and a blackmailer.
“the Icelandic government again secured Western loans, this time at least partly by pointing out that assistance would otherwise have to be sought in the East.” & “”Is Iceland blackmailing us?” asked an exasperated National Security Council official”
Ólafur my gods, the hole idea is that there is a lot of valuable buildings and infrastructure there.
Clean up obviously less and faster than building from scratch.
Engage brain and reading skills — even Google is your friend — before posting about subjects.
US always keep promises about and careful when withdraw one of base. May disagree about reach of US in world — has as much bases on foreign soil as Roman Empire is Empire of Bases — but cant complain about way US *leaves* bases.
that base is worth the cleanup …. anyway did someone read Red Storm Rising here ? :p that’s my favourite book (better than the ‘Jack Ryan’ series)
I was a military member stationed at the base, I left there in 1999 and at least 80% of the housing had been rennovated. The base was it’s own “little city.” The U.S. spent millions and the people that are using the facility now are benefiting tremendously from how the U.S. military left the facility. Asbestos is found in all older facilities, I’m sure there are Icelandic building with it as well. What is the base used for now?
Debra says: “What is the base used for now?”
Student campus amongst many things
http://en.keilir.net/campus