Navy Whidbey Island jet expansion plans not sufficient

Ken Stern | Feb 27, 20190

The U.S. Navy has been urged to put on hold its plans to expand Aircraft and Aircraft Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and “accept and carry out recommendations” of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for minimizing and mitigating noise the expansion will create. This is the conclusion delivered in an eight page letter from Council Chair Milford Wayne Donaldson dated Feb. 19. The letter recognizes the significant impact to historic properties from the proposed expansion.

The letter, to Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, follows last November’s termination of consultation by the Navy of Section 106, dealing with the preservation of historical properties in Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve, part of the Central Whidbey Island Historic District. The Navy’s pullout ended a four year process with local and state stakeholders, including the State Historical Preservation Office, the National Park Service, Indian tribes, local governments and environmental and historic preservation nonprofits.

Recommendations include:

1. “Develop a noise monitoring program to measure actual direct and indirect effects, including cumulative effects, of operations to historic properties.” The Navy’s data, based on modeling, was widely criticized for being inaccurate and inadequate.

2. “The Navy should commit to carrying out mitigation measures in further discussions with stakeholders” and provide necessary funds. The Navy had terminated discussions Nov. 20.

3. “The Navy should pursue innovative partnerships and techniques to promote the long-term preservation of affected historic properties.” This includes to “work with the stakeholders to identify future operational and development plans that may affect historic properties.”

4. The Navy can “work with the stakeholders to continually review operational procedures to identify potential changes that reduce noise, such as restricting hours of flight operations, while supporting mission execution.”

Donaldson challenged the Navy to make “efforts that transcend mere procedural compliance with the NHPA (national Historic Preservation Act)” at the start of his letter.

The Navy plans to bring 36 Growler jets to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The plans the Navy has filed lists 24,100 takeoffs and landings annually at the airfield near Coupeville.

Federal regulations require the Secretary of the Navy to take the ACHP’s comments into account in reaching a final decision on the undertaking and to respond back to the ACHP with the rationale for his decision prior to the approval of the undertaking.

At press time no respoinse to this letter was available from the Navy or Rep. Rick Larsen (Wa-02), who has Whidbey Island in his district.

The ACHP letter was delayed by the Trump administration’s partial government shutdown. It was originally due Jan. 14th.

Council’s letter to Navy supports ‘Alliance’ calls for mitigation

We thank the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation and its members for

The ACHP acknowledged many of the concerns expressed in the Sound Defense Alliance’s position statement on the insufficient mitigations offered by the Navy to reduce, minimize or mitigate Growler jet noise.

The ACHP’s eight-page letter echoed SDA and the region’s concerns in a long list of mitigations and considerations for the Navy to address. Some of these include: adverse effects on historical structures, agriculture and tourism. Members recog-nized that Growler jet noise would impact more than Central Whidbey.

Council members agreed that the Navy’s methods of measuring noise may have been too narrow – leaving out over 40 historic properties in Port Townsend. The ACHP suggests actual noise monitoring, adding their voice to the EPA’s, the Governor’s and to our State Department of Health’s request for noise monitoring.

The regional community and the larger preservation community, such at the Ebey’s Trust Board and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, helped inform the ACHP council members from throughout the country about military noise expansion on national historic sites, such as Ebey’s Reserve. New allies have been made in our state and beyond.

The ACHP received more than 250 written comments on the Navy’s proposed undertaking, from consulting partners, members of the public, the Governor’s office and Congress. As part of developing comments, the ACHP staff also hosted a public meeting in Coupeville, attended by over 400 people from throughout northwest Washington. The retelling of our story by the ACHP is a big plus for our efforts. Our gratitude to all of those who wrote, called or attended the meeting.

We are heartened that the ACHP review has brought to light the magnitude of the harms that will be caused by the Navy’s proposed undertaking and the Navy’s failed Section 106 process. The ACHP has helped us galvanize a community for a sustainable and respectful outcome.

Knowing that the ACHP wants to stay in the loop is a win for our community too. They want to exercise all the power they have under the law including prior evidence of consideration.

The Sound Defense Alliance will continue our efforts to reduce Growler jet noise and to work toward reducing the number of jets, flights and locations of Growler jet training.

For more about the Sound Defense Alliance and the No New Jets, No New Fights Campaign visit the website, sounddefensealliance.org or visit the facebook page https://facebook.com/SoundDefenseAlliance.

Submitted by Sound Defense Alliance