Navy’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Comments & Talking Points
- The Navy’s DEIS does not adequately address the true environmental and public health consequences of planned Growler increases.
- The Navy wants to move ALL touch-and go Growler operations to the OLF. Operations would be increased up to 35,000 a year! The DEIS misrepresents the impacts of Growler noise. No measurements of noise were taken in communities – only computer modeling that averaged periods of noise with long periods of silence.
- The DEIS ignores overwhelming scientific and medical evidence of harms caused by hazardous Growler noise. Growler noise has already created what one health expert labeled a “public health emergency that is literally killing people…”
- The DEIS states that increased Growler operations will cause “between 45-55 disruptions per HOUR in the Coupeville Schools”. And, children may experience some cognitive damage due to increased noise.
- Options being considered by the Navy would subject properties from Engle Road and western Coupeville east to Saratoga Passage and from Penn Cove on the north to Puget Sound to inclusion in an Accident Protection Zone (APZ) 1 or 2. Property values will plummet. Even worse, all those APZ properties and many more beyond are in a Noise Zone 2 area, within which Island County may deny residential development.
- Drinking Water Pollution: Coupeville’s water supply well next to the OLF is contaminated with the Navy’s toxic chemicals at concerning levels. An accident at the OLF could cause more contamination. Increasing operations by Navy Growlers will increases the threat to Coupeville’s drinking water.
- Electronic Warfare: Nowhere do any Navy NEPA documents from the last 7 years discuss the risk of exposure to chronic downward-directed radiation from weaponized forms of directed energy aboard Growlers, to civilians, wildlife and habitat. OLF has a stationary electromagnetic emitter currently in use. Why is any mention or discussion of risks from exposure to electromagnetic radiation from Navy jets completely missing from all discussions of potential impacts?
The draft EIS does not comply with mandatory NEPA requirements to fully analyze off-Whidbey training options (alternatives) for conducting touch and go practice. in a report of 1500 pages (over the NRPA recommended 300 pages) the Navy has submitted an unreadable document short on data and facts.
You can make your comments at the Navy’s public meeting or submit them by email before January 25. Fill out the comment form at http://www.whidbeyeis.com
To find out more about the threat to our community and what you can do visit: http://citizensofebeysreserve.com
What can YOU do right now?
Submit comments on the EIS and send a copy to our group by emailing us at coupevillecommunityallies@gmail.com You may submit comments more than once.
There are TWO ways to provide comments:
- Mail your comments to: EA-18G EIS Project Manager, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic – Attn: Code EV21/SS, 6506 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23508
- Provide written comments using the EIS form on this website
Help COER fight the big legal battles ahead: Send your contribution to: COER. P.O. Box 202, Coupeville, WA 09293, and sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/jay-inslee-governor-inslee-give-citizens-a-voice-in-military-expansion-in-the-salish-sea?recruiter=361023820&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-reason_msg
Contact your elected Representatives.
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98502-0002
Call (360) 902-4111, Fax (360) 753-4110
Senator Patty Murray
Phone: (202) 224-2621 Fax: (202) 224-0238 Toll Free: (866) 481-9186
Seattle Office: 2988 Jackson Federal Building 915 2nd Avenue Seattle, WA 98174
Senator Maria Cantwell
Phone: (202) 224-3441 FaxL202) 228-0514
Regional Office: 2930 Wetmore Ave., #9B Everett, WA 98201
Phone: (425) 303-0114 Fax: (425) 303-8351
Congressperson Rick Larsen
Bellingham Office: 119 North Commercial Street Suite 1350, Bellingham, WA 98225
Everett Office: Wall Street Building, 2930 Wetmore Ave, Suite 9F
Email:<rick.larsen@mail.house.gov
Phone: (800) 562-1385
Island County Commissioners
Richard Hannold – Phone: (360) 679-7354 Email: <district3@co.island.wa.us
Helen Price Johnson, Office Phone: (360) 679-7354, Email: district1@co.island.wa.us
Jill Johnson Office phone: (360) 679-7354, Email: district2@co.island.wa.us
I can hardly believe that the government can be allowed such inconsideration to multiple populations let alone one of the few remaining habitable sanctuaries of rugged natural resources. How can the navy be so rude and arrogant as to pretend that these games are that important. We have managed to win many a war without this sort of fantasy fun some man came up with out of boredom. How incredibly immature, selfish, wasteful and down right stupid. Do you realize how important these peoples lives are? You are supposed to be protecting them, not ruining their lives. And the nature of things there, thousands of people use the western Olympic peninsula and Salish Sea area for recreation and retreat as well. This is just impossible. Shame Shame Shame. You can’t get away with this!! We don’t need your little reality war games! You don’t need them. What a waist of tax payer money!!