SILVERDALE — The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard are accepting public comment regarding the environmental impact of at-sea military training activities through Jan. 19.
The services are jointly preparing a supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) final environmental impact statement (EIS) and the 2020 NWTT final supplemental EIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with continuing at-sea military readiness activities, according to a press release from Navy Region Northwest.
At-sea military readiness activities include training, research, development, testing and evaluation activities, and range modernization and sustainment.
Those activities would occur on and beneath the water surface and in the airspace within the study area.
The study area, which does not include any land or overland airspace, consists of areas offshore of the Washington, Oregon and Northern California coasts, inland waters of Washington and the western Behm Canal in Southeast Alaska.
In the EIS, the Navy and Coast Guard will analyze the potential environmental effects of proposed military readiness activities using an updated acoustic effects model, updated marine mammal density data, acoustic effects criteria and thresholds, and current best-available science.
The purpose of the proposed action is to ensure that the services are able to organize, train and equip their personnel to meet national defense missions in accordance with congressionally mandated requirements.
Proposed at-sea military readiness activities may include the use of active sonar, explosives or other sources of sound.
These activities are similar to those previously analyzed and are representative of activities conducted in the study area for decades, with some updates to the type, frequency, duration, intensity and location, the Navy said.
The Navy also proposes the modernization and sustainment of range capabilities that support training and testing activities.
The Navy is the lead agency for the proposed action and is responsible for the scope and content of the statement and for Section 106 consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act.
The Coast Guard is participating as a joint lead agency since its training activities are similar to proposed Navy activities. The Coast Guard participated as a cooperating agency during previous analyses.
The public, stakeholders and federally recognized tribes are invited to comment on the scope of the supplemental EIS to include identifying potential alternatives or issues that should be addressed, relaying environmental concerns, identifying historic in-water properties and providing information or analysis relevant to the proposed action.
Comments may be submitted via the project website at www.nepa.navy.mil/nwtteis or by mail to: Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest; Attention: NWTT SEIS/OEIS Project Manager; 1101 Tautog Circle, Room 102, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101.
Scoping comments must be postmarked or received online by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 19 for consideration.
The comment period has been extended an additional 15 days beyond the required 30 days to allow more time during the holiday season, the Navy said.
There will be another comment opportunity when the draft SEIS/OEIS is available, which is anticipated to be released in September.
