From the Rapid City Journal:
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Monday sent a report to BRAC chairman Anthony Principi titled "High Risk, Low Savings" that seeks to refute the Pentagon's projected $1.853 billion in savings over 20 years by closing Ellsworth.
At best, the report said, the savings would be a fraction of that — $258 million, or $12.9 million over 20 years. And a "worst-case scenario" could mean a $1.7 billion cost to the Defense Department if a federal lawsuit challenging Dyess' training ranges leads to continued use of Ellsworth's Powder River Military Operating Area in Wyoming.
The Government Accountability Office has questioned the Pentagon's overall BRAC savings of $49 billion over 20 years, saying that half of the savings comes from personnel who will merely be shifted.
