The Defense Department Inspector General (IG), in a report publicly released today, says that DOD officials “did not adequately plan for changing security and mission requirements” when it entered into seven private housing agreements two decades ago including one for 300 housing units at Earle Naval Weapons Station.

According to Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) who requested the probe 16 months ago “the report raises significant still-to-be-answered questions concerning potential threats posed by civilians who would be eligible to rent a unit inside the munitions base beginning September 1, 2010.”

The IG said the Navy will complete is own analysis on security to be included in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) due out this Fall. Smith and the community group from Colts Necks met on August 1, 2008 with Navy Assistant Secretary BJ Penn who will oversee the EIS.

Smith said however, “The IG punted on the key threat assessment question that I asked,” noting that the 8-member team wrote “we did not review the sufficiency of the security measures the Navy plans to implement nor did we perform a comprehensive security threat assessment.”

“Since that is precisely what I asked for, at best, this report is incomplete,” Smith said.

The report, however, does note that Earle “faces an increased security monitoring burden” and that the Navy would have to increase law enforcement patrols to the housing units.

The IG makes clear that the Navy must provide police, fire, snow removal and utilities during the remaining 30 years of the contract.

“All of that raises the threat level and costs money and thus far the Navy has failed to provide a real security plan and costs estimates,” Smith said. “We have learned from the BRAC process that the DOD can grossly underestimate costs of proposed changes and in the end the taxpayer is left holding the bag.”

The IG found that the Navy can establish and run a vetting process to do a background check on potential renters Smith said. However, Smith noted the IG failed to estimate the cost of the ongoing checks and he noted that this process would not cover guests, visitors, and persons delivering goods and services to the homes. He added this is a critical flaw given the security breach at Fort Dix was engineered in part by a pizza delivery man.

“The IG report raises more questions than it resolves,” Smith said. “For that reason I am following up on the IG’s recommendation to ask Secretary Robert Gates to have the Defense Threat Reduction Agency calculate all added risks and costs associated with leasing Earle housing to civilians.

“The only reference to the unfair burden imposed on the community by renters who will not pay local taxes but whose children would be educated in local schools,” Smith said “was an appendix that summarizes those issues as raised by Neighbors Opposed to Privatization at Earle (NOPE) and public officials.”

Smith concluded, “The current plans for Earle are unacceptable and egregiously flawed. As other bases begin to consider the same issue of what to do with the improperly planned for outleasing of housing on their bases, security officials at Fort Hood, TX, argue that threat levels will be increased so they are seeking ways to limit the leases to military personnel. Similarly, officials at Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, CA, are simply opposed to the idea, believing that renting to the general public on the base will indirectly affect the mission and increase their security budget.”