WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer this week urged the federal government to study anew the impact of military jet noise on wildlife, wilderness and visitor use in Olympic National Park in light of proposed increased Navy jet traffic over the area.
The Gig Harbor Democrat and Port Angeles native outlined his concerns in a letter Tuesday to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN) Chairman Kevin Shepherd.
The departments of Defense and Interior are members of FICAN.
In his letter, Kilmer said the Navy has conducted a study of national park jet noise that is more applicable to cities than the park.
“With the potential for increased noise, I want the government to use the latest science to ensure the soundscape and environment of this iconic landscape is protected and respected,” Kilmer added in an email that accompanied the letter.
Kilmer has attended public meetings on the North Olympic Peninsula at which residents have expressed sharp concerns over noise from EA-18G Growler jets during an electronic warfare range proposed by the Navy that would increase flights by up to 10 percent over Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, which encircles most of the park.
A September 2014 Navy environmental assessment found no significant impacts from the $11.5 million project on noise, public health and safety, biological resources, air quality and visual resources.
The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing a Navy special-use permit for the warfare range proposal.
The Navy would deploy up to three camper-sized mobile electromagnetic transmitters for the project on 12 roads in Olympic National Forest.
The Navy also is considering applying for permits to use three state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sites in West Jefferson County southeast of Forks.
Peter Goldmark, state commissioner of public lands, said this spring that DNR isn’t interested in allowing its land to be used for the Navy’s proposed electronic warfare training.
His senior adviser, Matthew Randazzo, said that noise was among DNR concerns.
The Navy has 82 carrier-based EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft that are stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. They already overfly the Olympics.
The Navy has proposed adding up to 36 additional Growler jets.
The Department of Defense maintains Olympic Military Operations Areas A and B over the west end of the Olympic Peninsula.
Kilmer said Joint Base Lewis-McChord also is a “close neighbor” of the 6th Congressional District, which Kilmer represents and which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
“This airspace has unique attributes which provide opportunity for [Department of Defense] aviators to practice essential skills,” Kilmer said.
“I also share the concerns many members of our region have with the potential noise impact such flights may have on national park resources including the soundscape, wildlife and wilderness and visitor use of Olympic National Park.”
Under Kilmer’s proposal, the Department of Defense would collect real noise samples and data.
FICAN would review the data, determine additional testing that’s needed and review noise-measuring techniques in wilderness areas and national forests.
Kilmer said the Navy already has conducted a noise study related to the National Environmental Policy Act.
But that review “was based on metrics and an analytical framework that is more commonly associated with community noise in urban settings and not appropriate for analyzing the impacts to a national park,” Kilmer said.
In the electronic warfare range, electromagnetic transmitters would interact in training exercises with jets flying between 10,000 and 35,000 feet and would expand existing Navy flights over the Peninsula by up to 10 percent, according to John Mosher, U.S. Pacific Fleet Northwest environmental program manager.
Mosher noted the estimated increase at a public meeting on the project in November at Port Angeles City Hall that drew numerous critics from Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Kent Mathes, U.S. Pacific Fleet northwest environmental program manager, said at the same meeting that there already are 1,200 flights in the Olympic Military Operations Areas.
Shepherd, who also heads an acoustics branch at NASA, said Wednesday that FICAN will review existing literature on jet-noise impacts on Olympic National Park before deciding on Kilmer’s request.
“We ought to have made significant progress by the end of the calendar year,” Shepherd said.
Department of Defense spokeswoman Maureen Schumann said Wednesday the agency will respond directly to Kilmer.
“We appreciate his concerns regarding the issue,” she said.
Olympic National Park spokesman Barb Maynes said in an email that the Park Service appreciates Kilmer’s interest in the issue and “looks forward to continuing discussions with the Navy.”
Kilmer’s letter is available at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Kilmerletter.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
