Editor,

I would like to take this opportunity to correct some misperceptions about Growler noise and alleged health impacts. Specifically, some have taken to asserting that “Growlers are the loudest jets yet to fly,” a statement that has no basis in fact.

The truth is that actual aircraft noise measurements disprove that assertion as there are several aircraft that are louder than the EA-18G Growler, including the aircraft it replaced, the EA-6B Prowler. In fact, the Growler in afterburner produces less noise than the EA-6B Prowler, the F-111F and the Concorde at full power/afterburner, depending on the noise metric used.

While the EA-18G Growler and the EA-6B Prowler are comparable in most flight profiles, actual noise measurements of the two aircraft show that at 1,000 feet overhead on departure, the Growler is quieter by approximately 6 dB SEL than the Prowler.

The Growler is louder than the Prowler during arrival, but only by 1 dB SEL. To put this in context, a 3 dB change in sound is barely perceptible to the human ear; a 5 dB change is quite noticeable; and a 10 dB increase is perceived as twice as loud.

In addition, the Navy flies the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft at naval air stations throughout the country. The Super Hornet has the same airframe and the same engines as the Growler, therefore produces the same noise.

In order to help your readers form their own opinions regarding recent subjective claims made to the Board of Health, I would offer the following information.

First, many of these same health claims were reviewed by District Court for the Western District of Washington. In August 2015, the Court held that these claims fail to provide sufficiently reliable evidence. Your readers can read the opinion here: cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/washington/wawdce/2:2013cv01232/194217/59/0.pdf?ts=1439393136.

We invite your readers to review the best available science regarding aircraft noise impacts, which is summarized in the Navy’s noise analysis that supported EA-18G Growler operations at NAS Whidbey Island.

Research conducted to date has not made a definitive connection between intermittent military aircraft noise and health effects.

Individual health is greatly influenced by additional factors known to cause health issues — such as heredity, medical history, smoking, diet, lack of exercise, air pollution, etc.

Research has demonstrated that these additional factors have a larger and more direct effect on a person’s health than aircraft noise.

Your readers can read this information in the 2012 EA, Appendix C/Noise Study, which can be found at www.whidbeyeis.com/HistoricDocuments.aspx.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide interested members of the public additional information regarding the topic of noise, as well as alleged health impacts of Growler operations.

Ted Brown

Energy and Environmental Public Affairs Officer

U.S. Fleet Forces Command

Norfolk, Virginia