The U.S. Navy has completed and submitted its Final Amended Analysis for the EA-18G “Growler” Airfield Operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
The analysis is the final step in the Environmental Impact Statement for the operations and was sent to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, according to a Navy news release sent out this week.
“The Amended Analysis updates greenhouse gas emissions calculations and explains the basis for those calculations, clarifies and expands on the analysis of species-specific impacts on birds, refines the analysis of the impact of increased operations on childhood learning and attempts to quantify the degree of impact to the extent supported by the best available science,” according to the news release.
The analysis also “reassesses whether relocating some or all of the Growler community to Naval Air Facility El Centro is a reasonable alternative and provides a fuller explanation of the Navy’s reasoning for eliminating the alternative from detailed study,” the release states.
The full analysis, which is more than 800 pages long, can be found at tinyurl.com/PDN-Navy-Analysis.
“Findings from this amended evaluation indicate that the Preferred Alternative 2A would result in an increase in EA-18G ‘Growler’ GHG emissions annually,” the analysis says. “This finding is consistent with the 2018 Final EIS, although the calculations have increased with the inclusion of GHG emissions above 3,000 feet AGL.”
Although there would be an increase in emissions, the analysis states it would “not result in any meaningful adverse GHG impact on a global scale and would not uniquely or distinguishably — when compared to other emissions sources in the state — inhibit the state of Washington or federal government from meeting its GHG reduction and energy efficiency goals.”
The Growler activity is not likely to result in significant adverse effects on the six focal bird species analyzed, the analysis states.
“Stressors from the Preferred Alternative would be intermittent and brief and would not disturb normal breeding, feeding and nesting behaviors of individuals to a degree that would cause significant effects on their populations,” according to the analysis.
The analysis also looked at how the Growler activity would affect childhood learning at the schools on Whidbey Island.
“The best available science suggests that there is an association between chronic aircraft noise and certain learning deficits, and that the evidence of an association is strongest and most consistent in terms of reading comprehension and hyperactivity,” the analysis states. “While these effects are thought to be small in magnitude, long-term impacts over the course of childhood development and into adulthood are currently unknown.”
The analysis recommends further research on the topic.
The analysis also recommended against relocating the EA-18G Growler aircraft to NAF El Centro from NAS Whidbey Island.
“The Navy thoroughly reassessed the NAF El Centro alternative in view of the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action and has again concluded that relocating the AEA community, or any portion thereof, to NAF El Centro is not a reasonable alternative, would degrade the AEA community’s overall effectiveness, and does not meet the purpose of and need for the Proposed Action,” the analysis states. “Accordingly, the Navy has again eliminated this alternative from detailed consideration.”
________
Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
