As pointed out in Monday’s North Coast Journal and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Navy plans to increase training for Washington-based units in the waters off the Northwest that it has been using since World War II — all the way to California coastal waters.
The Northwest Training Range Complex includes several areas in the Pacific; the Navy plans to increase the use of air and sea targets and a submarine tracking range, and to develop a training minefield for submarines and to develop an electronic signal emitter on the coast. This project builds on previous activities that have been going on for decades.
The Navy has a Website to make the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) required under the National Emvironmental Policy Act (NEPA) available to the public. A print copy of the document is also available at the Humboldt County Library main branch, 1313 3rd Street in Eureka and in other locations in Washington and Oregon.
As part of the public consultation process required by NEPA, a series of public hearings have been planned, including one in Eureka next week on February 2, at the Eureka Women’s Club, 1531 J Street. All public hearings include an open-house information session beginning at 5:00 p.m. and a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Comments on the draft EIS can be submitted via the Web using the Navy’s automated system, or by mail to:
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest
1101 Tautog Circle, Suite 203
Silverdale, WA 98315-1101
ATTN: Mrs. Kimberly Kler – NWTRC EIS
by downloading or printing and filling their MS Word comment form. (Actually, any written comments have to be considered, the Navy is merely trying to keep things organized.) The comment period ends very soon, on February 11, 2009.
[…] The comment period for the Navy’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Northwest Training Range Complex (NWTRC) has been extended. It was originally closing on February 11, but has been prolonged to […]