Dear Neighbors, Residents, and Businesses of Central Whidbey:
The Navy has announced it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the addition of yet more new planes at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) as well as “baseline operations at NASWI and OLF Coupeville.” The key words are “baseline operations.” Very clearly, as those words pertain to our Federal Suit, they do not include EA18G “Growlers” at NASWI. The Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve’s (COER) suit addresses the impacts of the decision to bring the Growlers to NASWI in the first instance, the subject of the seriously flawed 2005 Environmental Assessment (EA). Our position very clearly is that “baseline operations” do NOT include the operations of the Growlers at NASWI.
A bit of history is helpful. In 2005 the Navy proposed stationing the Growlers at NASWI. They prepared a fraudulent Environmental Assessment, the 2005 EA, claiming the new jets at the OLF would be less loud than the EA6Bs they were replacing, AND they would be flying fewer operations at the OLF, both blatant misrepresentations. We all know now that the Growlers are louder and that flight operations steadily increased at the OLF until they were up over 300% in 2012, and were well on their way to even a larger number of operations in 2013 until we filed the Federal Suit and they shut down operations at the OLF for the remainder of 2013.
Using their fraudulent 2005 EA the Navy claimed there were no impacts from the transition to the Growlers, and made the decision to base them at NASWI. This EA and decision is what we challenge now in Federal Court. The Navy is trying to bootstrap the Growlers into “baseline operations,” as if their existence at NASWI is a foregone conclusion and part of the status quo. Wrong. Our suit challenges the flawed EA and the decision to bring the Growlers to NASWI in the first instance.
While the Notice of Intent to do an EIS has been filed by the Navy, the process is just beginning. The scoping of the EIS is the next big round of activity and we are very well poised and prepared to weigh in on that process in a big way with our capable attorneys and expert witnesses.
“The Navy must address the complete impacts of its operations on human and natural environment. This includes all past, present and reasonably foreseeable noise impacts. The Navy cannot shortcut the NEPA process and ignore existing, already intolerable, conditions.”
David Mann, GENDLER & MANN, LLP
The Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve will be insisting that the Navy go back to that much earlier decision in 2005 to bring the Growlers to NASWI. We will not be dismissing our lawsuit until the Navy complies with the law in every detail. COER will also be seeking injunctive relief to prevent any use of the OLF until a full disclosure is made in the EIS of all impacts upon humans, animals, the environment, Ebey’s Reserve, property values, etc., with a scientifically and truthfully researched EIS under the watchful eyes of the courts and COER.
Respectfully,
Board of Directors, Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve
Post Office Box 202, Coupeville WA 98239, citizensofebeysreserve.com
Email – citizensoftheebeysreserve2@gmail.com
Astute observations. It’s pretty sad to find out that our Navy would deceive, break rules, and lie to us. I wonder what our school teachers who taught us to believe in our government would say.
I would like to know where you got statistics to prove that the Growlers are louder than the previous aircraft flying out of NASWI and the statistics/studies that prove that operations have increased by 300%. You throw out these numbers with no qualifying source.
Barbara,
Please read the “JGL” Noise report on the “links” page. Everything you need is there, if your questions aren’t answered there, the answers will be in the complaint that was filed. If you still have questions, please contact us again, as answers to your questions are asked by many people, and we want your questions answered to your satisfaction.
Regards
COER