Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is conducting explosive demolition operations in Crescent Harbor this week.
The operations are scheduled during daylight hours, today through Friday, April 10.
The purpose of the exercise is to test small-scale charges, about the size of a shotgun shell, that are used for detonating larger explosives in combat, according to Mike Welding, public information officer for NAS Whidbey.
Water plumes and ground vibration may result from these operations, according to a Navy news release, but safety precautions are being taken to ensure operations pose no threat to residents or their property.
Testing will be conducted by the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 Detachment Northwest which will fire two one-ounce charges of C4 explosive at a depth of 30 feet below the water surface, Welding said in an emailed statement.
“The operation allows the EOD team to verify the correct implementation and successful firing of emergency response tools,” Welding said.
“These tools and capabilities are utilized for any explosive hazard in Region Northwest, and ensure we complete the actual emergency response with the least amount of danger to the populace and the environment.”
Impact on the environment will be “extremely low” and that to date, no sea life has been injured by this training because it is closely monitored by an environmental team from Navy Region Northwest, Welding said.
The explosives detonated in Crescent Harbor are also limited by the Navy Endangered Species Act consultations who works in tandem with the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The exercise will be delayed while birds listed under the Endangered Species Act or other mammals are located in or around the detonation area, Welding said.
In addition to visual monitoring, participating personnel will use hydrophones to ensure the training does not pose an acoustical threat to wildlife.
Because the Navy is required to do acoustic monitoring to document the underwater impact of the detonation on fish and wildlife, representatives from the Navy and local tribes will monitor for dead fish and wounded animals located within the detonation area.
Tribes consulted by the Navy include the Stillaguamish, Upper Skagit, Lummi, Tulalip and Swinomish.
Detonations will not be conducted if the seas state reaches above a light breeze and small white caps, due to permit restrictions for the ESA protection of the marbled murrelets.
