Navy, congressman announce locations for two additional EIS meetings

The Navy will hold two additional open-house meetings for the ongoing Environmental Impact Statement on the EA-18G Growler in Port Townsend and on Lopez Island. Meetings were held last month in Coupeville, Oak Harbor and Anacortes. The Navy said the move was made at the request of elected leaders, according to a Wednesday press release.

By Janis Reid • November 12, 2014 5:15 pm

The Navy will hold two additional open-house meetings for the ongoing Environmental Impact Statement on the EA-18G Growler in Port Townsend and on Lopez Island.

Meetings were held last month in Coupeville, Oak Harbor and Anacortes.

The Navy said the move was made at the request of elected leaders, according to a Wednesday press release.

Shortly after the Navy released the locations of the meetings, Democratic Congressman Rick Larsen took credit for the additional meeting on Lopez Island, which lays within his district.

“I recently heard from residents on Lopez Island about their concerns regarding jet noise and the number of Growlers stationed at NASWI,” Larsen said in a press release.

“I asked the Navy to include the San Juan Islands in the EIS process, and I appreciate the Navy expanding its outreach to include this community. I remain committed to making sure NASWI remains a premier Navy asset, as well as to finding solutions to reduce the noise impacts on local communities.”

In a surprise move earlier this year Democrats in San Juan County, which comprises Orcas, Lopez and the San Juan islands, endorsed Larsen’s independent opponent Mike Lapointe, according to a July press release from the San Juan Democrats.

“The main factors in this decision were the incumbent’s failure to adequately address two of the primary concerns of the citizens of the San Juan Islands,” the press release stated. These two concerns include the Gateway Pacific Terminal coal export facility near Bellingham and the “quality-of-life and health-destroying noise of the Navy’s Growler jets based on Whidbey Island.”

Lapointe was eliminated in the primary and Larsen won his eighth term last week against Republican B.J. Guillot.

The additional EIS meetings will provide members of the public with the opportunity to review project-related information, ask questions of Navy staff, and submit comments on the scope of the analysis and content to be addressed in the EIS. Each of the meetings will be informal and consist of information stations staffed by Navy representatives.

The additional public hearings will be held 3-6 p.m. at the following locations:

Wednesday, Dec. 3, Lopez Island Center for Community Arts, 204 Village Road, Lopez Island.

nhursday, Dec. 4, Fort Worden Commons, Building 210, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend.

More information and the revised proposed action can be found at whidbeyeis.com.