PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners have concerns about the planned Navy pier on Ediz Hook.
In a letter to Navy officials in Silverdale, the three commissioners Tuesday suggested an environmental impact study (EIS) for the $25 million Transit Protection System at Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles.
The Navy plans to build a ballistic missile submarine escort vessel dock and support facilities on the south side of the Coast Guard base to provide a staging area for vessels and crews escorting submarines from Naval Base Kitsap Bangor.
Commissioners were briefed on the project April 4.
“We appreciate your outreach and would like to invite you to participate in an upcoming work session to provide us with additional details and conversation at a public meeting,” the letter states.
Commissioner Mark Ozias drafted the letter to raise concerns such as flooding, noise impacts, protections for resident orcas and insufficient detail in the project’s draft environmental assessment, which determined there was no significant impact from the project.
A final environmental assessment is scheduled to be released this summer.
The letter notes that the project budget does not address the projected $6 million hit to Icicle Seafoods, which is being forced to harvest 30 percent of its Atlantic salmon two months early.
The Navy plans to begin construction Dec. 1 and last 18 months.
Navy officials have said the project could generate 267 jobs during construction.
Ozias presented the first draft of his letter to fellow commissioners May 23.
“The county, as far as I understand, isn’t responsible for any of the permitting or anything like that, but I did appreciate their coming and providing us with an update on their plans,” Ozias said in a board work session.
“I had just a handful of concerns and comments, which I sort of outlined in this letter here. If you share any or all of these, then I’d love for the letter to come from all of us.”
Commissioners Mike Chapman and Bill Peach suggested that the concerns be listed in the form of questions. They suggested an invitation to Navy officials for another meeting.
A more diplomatic, revised letter was approved on the board’s consent agenda Tuesday.
“It’s certainly not anti-Navy or anti-national defense by any stretch,” Chapman said in a Tuesday telephone interview.
The letter states:
“Thank you for briefing the Clallam County Board of Commissioners about the proposed Pier and Support Facilities for Transit Protection System at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles.
“We have some follow-up questions and believe our community would be best served by the completion of an environmental impact study which would help to address these and other concerns:
■ “Why weren’t the anticipated impacts of climate change — especially increased flooding of Ediz Hook and Port Angeles Harbor — . . . taken into account or addressed in the Environmental Assessment (EA)?
■ “Alternative 1 appears to be the most environmentally impactful option, as it maximizes pile-driving noise, displacement of eelgrass, and turbidity; what is the reasoning behind the selection of this alternative?
■ “How will you minimize the underwater noise such that it will not impact penned fish which have no ability to move elsewhere?
■ “How is the Navy interfacing with plans by the National Marine Fisheries Service to expand existing critical habitat protections for southern resident killer whales?
■ “What are the operational needs that justify site placement on Ediz Hook and/or future plans for the area which might require an environmental impact statement?
“We are also concerned that the loss of revenue anticipated by Icicle Seafoods (projected to be in the range of $6 million) is not specifically addressed in the project budget and look forward to learning more detail.”
Darlene Schanfald of the Sierra Club North Olympic Group and commissioner candidate Ron Richards testified in support of the letter before it was approved.
“This really covers the bases,” Schanfald said.
“We all deserve the environmental impact study.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.