Dr. Strangelove is Back!
The Navy wants to electrify the Hill Country with 3000 square miles of buried antenna beaming through the earth to nuclear submarines.
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At present, Sanguine is in the validation phase of development, the final step leading toward full-scale canstruction of the system. The Navy has received $10 million to continue Sanguine research through fiscal year 1973 ($400,000 of this has been earmarked for environmental research) and is asking Congress for $16 million during fiscal year 1974. During the validation phase, which will last two years, detailed designs for the gigantic antenna and power generating system will be prepared for prototype development. This does not constitute a commitment to construction of a Sanguine system. But as Sen. Nelson has noted, "it is the phase from which it would be most difficult to pull back."
The Navy has contracted RCA, GTE Sylvania and TRW to conduct the validation phase. They are expected to report to the Navy by the middle of 1974 when two companies will be chosen to prepare full-scale system plans. Construction of Sanguine is not scheduled to start until 1976.
One disturbing side-note to all of this is that Hazelton Laboratories, the first group contracted to do environmental research on Sanguine, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TRW, Inc. While the 1969 Hazelton contract to discover the biological effects of Sanguine amounted to only $178,000, the TRW contract to build Sanguine, if it is awarded, will be worth $200 million and possibly more. With the possibility of landing a huge contract to build Sanguine, there would be little incentive for TRW's subsidiary, Hazelton, to discover "environmental reasons" why it should not be built.
Almost as if it had a mind of its own, however, Sanguine keeps moving toward the operational stage—never mind Nixon, Brezhnev, and Mao formally ending the Cold War, never mind energy shortages, environmental problems, citizen opposition, never mind the fact that the hill country is without doubt the most beautiful and distinctive section of Texas.
A complex and constantly changing set of administrators, admirals, politicians, and scientists will be carrying Sanguine through the torturous bureaucratic paths such as a project must follow to become reality. The feelings of Texas politicians are presented elsewhere in this article.
The only missing players in the beginning drama are the people of Texas. Whether they will evict Sanguine, as Wisconsin did, or welcome it, as Rep. Fisher believes, remains to be seen.
I'm patriotic, but this isn't right
"I'm strong for protection of our country. But I don't think this is right. I was the first elected official to come out and oppose this project. Some of the business people think it will bring money in, but the Navy is going to bring in their own men to operate it."
Judge Moore Johanson, county judge, Llano County
Misunderstanding of Sanguine here is widespread
"I'm pro-military and I feel everybody ought to help. There's just a lot of misunderstanding about what the effects of Sanguine will be. It's not just one or two of the local chronic complainers, but real substantial citizens who aren't sure what Sanguine means. I think our ranchers would be co-operative if they really knew all the facts."
Bill Needham, partner, the Corner Drugstore, Llano
I'll support it if it'll work
"I don't have any opposition to it if it can be worked out to the satisfaction of the ranchers involved. Frankly, I just don't understand it. We hear rumors that it will electrify cattle and that all the fences will be dangerous. Maybe when the Navy explains it in detail it will make more sense."
Mac Hutto, city council member, Llano
Sanguine is a boondoggle
"It is a boondoggle. Anytime you mention national security to everybody throws up their hands and says, 'Oh my God, the Russians are coming.' So we have to be for it to keep the Russians out of Llano. I mean, is this really necessary?"
Lawrence Bruhl, attorney, Llano
If the country needs it, I'm for it
"I'm not involved because I don't have any land, so they're not going to dig up my property. I am not worried about being a nuclear target. As a good American citizen I feel that if Sanguine is what it takes, well, I hope I am man enough to do it. I'm not going to equate my pocketbook with my loyalty or what this country needs; if the Navy is to be believed and they think this is the spot, I am still going to make a living. Most of the people are against it. If I had my druthers, I'd say let us stay like we are."
Henry Buttery, Buttery Hardware, Llano
What the Politicians Say
Rep. George Mahon (D-Lubbock) serves as chairman both of the House Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Defense. In this role he has heard most of the debate on Sanguine, the arguments for and against the project and holds the power of the purse over it. Mahon knows much more about Sanguine than any other member of the Texas delegation and is much more skeptical than the other members. I interviewed Mahon and the counsel to the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations at the same time.
Ralph Preston: (Counsel, House Appropriations Committee) They had quite a stir up in Wisconsin.
Mahon: You know the people in Wisconsin wouldn't have it. That's why the Navy looked for some other place and thought that Texas might be a good place. I have been skeptical about the program itself and I remain skeptical about the program, and I'm a little skeptical as to whether or not the people of Texas will want it. But, so far, I haven't received any great amount of correspondence in regard to the matter.
Preston: The Navy's asking for $16 million for the 1974 Sanguine budget, and our committee will have to take some action on that.
Mahon: Before we act on the Navy's request we will go into it thoroughly and try to evaluate it again in the light of any technological breakthroughs or changes.
Preston: The committee has heard prominent scientists on both sides of the question. The experts are quite divided on the issue. Sanguine is something people need to take a slow and careful look at. You know the conservationists, recreation people, fish and wildlife people, and all those people were against Sanguine in Wisconsin. And those are all powerful groups in Texas. And another thing. You know Sanguine is not like a lot of these defense installations. It's not really going to be very helpful to an area because it's not very labor intensive. Once you stick this thing in the ground it won't take many folks to keep it running, so it wan't create many new jobs. It's no big deal in that respect.
Rep. O.C. Fisher (D-San Angelo) is in Texas recovering from heart surgery. I spoke with his Legislative Assistant, Ron Ricks, and from our conversation I gather that Fisher is taking a more cautious stand than he did previously. Ricks said, "Fisher is interested in getting the facts out in the open and analyzing the situation. He feels favorable to the project as long as the Navy answers the objections that have been raised. But he won't make up his mind until all the information is in and he can see what it involves."
Sen. John Tower (R-Wichita Falls) is the second ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I spoke with Tower's press secretary, Kyle Thompson, and he read Tower's statement on Project Sanguine. This is Tower speaking: "Because the project is a valid defense requirement, I do not oppose the location of Sanguine in Texas assuming that local interest can be satisfied. The Navy has done extensive research on the environmental impact of the project and reports that its impact will be negligible."
Sen. Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (D-Houston) served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Bentsen has chaired that sommittee's Subcommittee on Research and Development on several occasions in which Sanguine was discussed. For that reason Bentsen has a clearer view of Sanguine than some other members of the Texas delegation. I spoke with Bentsen's legislative, assistant, Tim Furlong, about the senator's stand on Sanguine. He said "Before Bentsen can support the program the Navy will have to answer all the questions concerning the project's effect on the environment and natural habitat of Texas. Bentsen has called on the Navy to conduct public hearings to answer the questions of local people concerning the purpose of the project and its possible effects. He has asked the Navy to make public all of the studies on the environmental impact Sanguine may have on the central Texas area. The Navy will have to meet these requirements before he will give his support to the project."
I spoke with Robert Hardesty, Governor Briscoe's press secretary, about his position on Project Sanguine. Hardesty said, "The Governor is not going to recommend anything or support anything until the Navy has demonstrated to his satisfaction and the satisfaction of the people in the area that they can do this on an ecologically sound basis."
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