Indian Island 'does not pose risk' to Jefferson County, skipper says
Cmdr. George Whitbred, commanding officer of Naval Magazine Indian Island, chats with members of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce on Monday. -- Photo by Jeff Chew/Peninsula Daily News
By Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News
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"I can tell you that Indian Island does not pose a risk to the community," said Cmdr. George Whitbred, 42, the youngest candidate for promotion to captain in the U.S. Navy.
Whitbred, who addressed more than 50 attending the weekly Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Fort Worden State Park Commons, said depleted uranium on the base is "to be phased out" of the Navy's munitions inventory altogether."
He echoed comments made last week by his boss, Rear Adm. James Symonds, commanding officer of Navy Region Northwest in Silverdale.
Depleted uranium is a waste product of the uranium enrichment process and contains less than one-third as much uranium-235 and uranium-234 isotopes as natural uranium.
Two uses
The military uses depleted uranium for defensive armor plating and armor-piercing projectiles.
Its use in ammunition is controversial because of its potential for release into the environment.
Whitbred said the Navy may be building a "floating fence" around the existing munitions pier that can be seen across the bay from Port Townsend.
The security barrier would extend out about 300 to 400 yards into Port Townsend Bay with a gate that opens and closes as ships come in to load and offload munitions.
While he was uncertain when the fence would be built, he believed it would be constructed before the decade ends.
Missile magazines
Whitbred said a $20 million project to replace three Tomahawk cruise missile magazines at Indian Island was also on scheduled to begin construction in 2010.
Navy Region Northwest must conduct an environmental-impact statement for the project.
Jokingly referring to the base as "the Costco of ammunition," Whitbred said the naval magazine holds ordnance, but "it doesn't stay very long."
He also stressed safety, saying: "I continue to preach safety every day on the island."
The base contributes heavily to the Jefferson County economy, he said.
In 2006, he said, the base purchased $11.5 million in local goods, had a payroll of $25 million and employs about 150 on the base every day.
Regarding the "risk assessment" of the base requested by Port Townsend city leaders last year and rejected by the secretary of the Navy, Whitbred said he thinks more about mitigation than risk assessment.
He said safety precautions — such as not smoking around propane tanks — is more effective than a risk assessment.
________
Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: July 14. 2008 9:00PM