PORT TOWNSEND — Although the Navy has officially rejected requests by County Commissioner Phil Johnson to hold a public forum on expansion of Naval Magazine Indian Island, some Port Townsend residents want the county to hold a forum anyway.
Doug Millholland of Port Townsend this week gave commissioners a petition signed by about 360 Jefferson County residents interested in a forum to get answers from the Navy on the safety risks involved in the ordnance base positioned across Port Townsend Bay.
“The Navy can help us by really letting us know what kind of credible dangers we’re up against,” said Millholland.
“A lot of people are paying attention, and they’re worried.”
Amount of signatures
He said the amount of signatures he gathered for the petition proves those in support of a public forum are not merely a small minority of anti-war fanatics.
Instead, it signifies individuals who are interested in safety for the community, he said.
Last year, the Navy announced plans for a $1.5 million expansion project that will enable Naval Magazine Indian Island to dock converted Trident submarines for maintenance and ordnance loading and offloading.
None of the weapons would be nuclear, the Navy has said.
Since the announcement, the base’s commanding officer, Capt. Jonathan Kurtz, has spoken to various Jefferson County groups to lay out plans for the base.
He also has lead city and county officials on a tour of Indian Island, where they were able to ask questions and in turn report to the public.
Citing these reasons in a letter to Johnson dated May 3, Rear Adm. William D. French, commander of Navy Region Northwest based in Silverdale, denied the official request to hold a forum in Port Townsend.
He stated he thought the public outreach by Kurtz was adequate concerning Indian Island’s expanded mission.
