[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1358-E1359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      A TRIBUTE TO LEWIS D. WALKER

                                 ______


                      HON. G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 28, 1995
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I am taking this opportunity to pay 
tribute to an outstanding public servant who has served his country in 
a quiet, effective, and dedicated manner for over 30 years, Lewis D. 
Walker, known by his friends and all who know him as ``Dee Walker.''
  Dee Walker has been the Army's senior civilian adviser for 
environment, safety and occupational health matters for the past 14 
years. During this period of time, the Nation's environmental laws have 
tripled, environmental program funds have grown from $200 million to 
over $1.3 billion and the potential severity, and cost of Army 
accidents and tasks to health have increased dramatically. Dee Walker 
is an outstanding career executive and is recognized for distinguished 
service by international, government, academic, and public interest 
groups. In 1992, he completed a 2-year Army wide effort to craft a 
detailed environmental strategy to guide Army policy and programs into 
the 21st century. His exemplary leadership has steadily reduced 
environmental violations.
  Mr. Walker managed the largest environmental cleanup in United States 
history at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal [RMA] in Colorado. For 8 years, 
he successfully pushed for an initiative to have RMA designated a 
national urban wildlife refuge which the President signed into law on 
October 9, 1992. This action is expected to relieve the Army of a cost 
of at least half a billion dollars.
  He skillfully negotiated a $1.2 billion lawsuit against a huge 
corporation responsible for much contamination which resulted in saving 
the Government 50 percent of the cleanup cost. When the State of 
Colorado filed suit against the Army over the cleanup process, Dee 
Walker was in the forefront, working closely with the Department of 
Justice to develop a highly successful litigation strategy that 
resulted in a $72 million cost avoidance. The landmark legislation to 
designate RMA as a Natural Wildlife Refuge and transfer it to the 
control of the Department of the Interior will save the Army $500 to 
$700 million in cleanup and restoration cost.
  Mr. Walker's justification of a modified cleanup option for the 
Louisiana Army ammunition plant saved the Army $27 million. When the 
Army accepted responsibility for Hamilton Air Force Base in California 
and reached agreement on cleanup, the cost of which was projected to be 
$44 million, Dee Walker contributed to a negotiated cost of $34 
million, saving the Army and the taxpayer $10 million. His critical 
direction on the Chesapeake Bay initiative achieved 100 percent 
compliance for the 22 Army Installations in the region. In recognition 
of its strong environmental management under his control, the 
Department of Defense designated the Army as the executive agent for a 
$124 million program to restore formerly used defense sites [FUDS]. The 
$35 million National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence and 
the Environmental Corporate Information Management
 Systems were also placed under his control. The Army was designated 
the lead defense agency for administering relationships with the Agency 
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Mr. Walker has sponsored a 
management initiative that would cut $2 billion by having the 
Department of Defense adopt a lead agent management approach.

  Dee Walker's responsibilities and accomplishments are too numerous to 
detail in this short summary of 30 odd years of diligent and 
conscientious work, which began in 1963 at the Department of the 
Interior in New Mexico. From 1966 to 1970, he served with the Agency 
for International Development in Bangkok, Thailand. Later, he returned 
to the Department of the Interior, although in Washington, DC, in the 
Bureau of Reclamation during the period of 1971-73. From 1974-79, he 
served with the U.S. Water Resources Council in Washington, and from 
1980 through the present, he has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of the Army.
  Dee Walker is known as a firm but strong promoter of high morale 
among his staff and fellow associates. He provides critical leadership, 
management, and human resource guidance. His success in this area has 
enabled the environmental community to respond favorably to increasing 
public and congressional expectations in a timely manner. Walker has a 

[[Page E1359]]
commonsense approach to the substantial responsibility that comes along 
with the job. In addition, he has the ability to relate effectively 
with his associates and staff. These qualities have served to promote a 
successful program which has created substantial savings in human 
anguish, and human and monetary resources in the programs under Dee 
Walker's direct policy oversight. Walker's responsibilities extended to 
the aftermath of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, during which he 
provided sound policy direction for issues such as health risk 
assessments of the oil fires and depleted uranium cleanup efforts in 
Kuwait.
  Mr. Walker's lovely wife, Colleen, and their two daughters have 
contributed greatly to his success in his lifelong endeavors. He is 
recognized for his active participation in church and community 
activities.
  I know that you all will join me as we pay tribute and best wishes to 
Dee Walker as he enters this well-earned and richly deserved new 
venture in his life, his retirement.


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