As stipulated by Judge Jones, the Navy has met with Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER) and the State of Washington to discuss an interim remedy while the environmental impact statement is revised. Those talks have broken down.
COER’s main request of the Navy has been rolling back carrier landing practices to pre-ROD levels. The Navy has argued that national defense demands there be no rollback. Without offering even a glimmer of concession on this key issue, the Navy has revealed its “good neighbor” policy is just lip-service propaganda and that it will use national defense to excuse anything it wants.
The failure to come close to an accord means we are to enter the briefing phase in which COER, the state, and the Navy will be preparing briefs back-and-forth during October and November. The briefs attempt to justify each party’s reasoning for or against requested relief measures, and thereafter the judge will decide what relief is to be applied. We will post the briefs on our website as they happen.
I am disheartened by the latest turn of events. Might does not make right. We must stand firm and be heard.
Gee, imagine the US Navy using “National Defense” commitment as a reason to train their aircrews at a Navy airfield. Mind boggling, isn’t it?
By COER requesting the Navy to roll back carrier landing practices to pre-ROD levels, it will continuse to expose us to EA 18 Growler exhaust toxins, like perchlorate and MBTE, and possibly other toxins. This does not include the outrageous Growler CO2 emissions. One must keep in mind that is more than Growler jet noise but a spectrum of very harmful site-specific and world wide environmental issues of which in situ jet noise is all too obvious.