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-Dl::PARTM ENT OF THE NAVY NAVAL Al~ STATION WH1DBEY ISLAND

3730 NQRTt-1 CHAA.LE.S PORTF.R AVll:Ni.11 OAK HAREH'.'J"1, WASHINGTON 9132785000

LCDR Micah Murphy, USN Office of Senator John McCain 241 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 2os10

Dear LCDR Murphy:

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This correspondence is in response to The Honorable John McCain's letter of August 20, 2014, regarding the concerns of Mrs. Isobel L. Kameros. Mrs. Kameros has raised several issues concerning training operations at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island Outlying Field (OLF) in Coupeville, Washington.

Mrs. Kameros resides in a high noise zone area, as identified by the Air Installations Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) studies performed at NAS Whidbey Island since the 1970s, including the most recent study conducted in 2005. Mrs. Kameros' residence is directly off the north end of the runway at the OLF in Coupeville, less than two miles from the runway. At that location, aircraft are required to fly at a minimum of 500 feet above the surface. Although Mrs. Kameros' home is located in a high noise zone, it is not located in an established accident potential zone according to the 2005 AICUZ and, therefore, she and similarly located residents need not question their safety.

Mrs. Kameros indicates in her letter that she built her house approximately a decade ago and began experiencing problems with the noise created by the OLF and specifically the EA-lBG Growler in 2011, yet the Growler began operations at NAS Whidbey Island and OLF Coupeville in 2008. Noise studies conducted prior to the aircraft's introduction show that the decibel levels for the Growler and the aircraft it is replacing, the EA-6B Prowler, are comparable. However, the aircraft do have different sound frequency signatures, and it is noted that the Growlers create a distinctly different sound.

While there are some studies purporting to show hearing loss due to aircraft operations, those studies have modeled commercial airports with relatively constant noise levels. Current studies are inconclusive about the effects of

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intermittent aircraft noise on people. While there is some evidence that long-term exposure (i.e. over 30 years) to very high noise levels may contribute to hearing loss, these studies typically examined individuals exposed to noise in the workplace, which can be relatively constant. This type of exposure is not analogous to noise experienced by communities exposed to military air operations, due to the intermittent nature of these operations. Even during periods of heavy operations, the high noise levels at OLF Coupeville are not constant and the noise impacts are intermittent. While airfield noise can cause sp"ei?'8,; .i,Jilterference and sleep d;i.sturba;nce, current research does not support a relationship between aircraft noise exposure and non-auditory health impacts for residents living near military airfields. Research with respect to health impacts due to aircraft noise has not produced a consensus within the scientific community.

The Navy has been actively working with local community groups and educating the municipalities near NAS Whidbey Island in an effort to ensure that land development near these airfields is compatible with flight operations, minimizing potential noise impacts to the community. The Navy has done this coordination and collaboration since the 1970s and will continue to do so. However, the land use planning and control process is conducted by and is the responsibility of the local municipalities; only they, through their zoning powers, can choose whether to adopt Navy recommendations for land development.

One of Mrs. Kameros' concerns pertains to noise disclosure requirements. The Na.ry has worked with local .. communities, including realtors, to help residents understand the potential noise impacts that are an inherent part of flight operations. Base officials have engaged with Mrs. Kameros on the phone, through email, and at public scoping meetings for the EA-18G Environmental Impact Statement. The Navy is actively partnering with local communities to improve the noise disclosure process and emphasize noise effects to potential buyers. The Navy encourages potential buyers and renters to contact the base to gain a better understanding of flight operations and potential noise impacts. While the Navy advocates the use of noise disclosures to the community and to potential home buyers and renters, the enactment of noise disclosure requirements is the

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responsibility and purview of zoning authorities. Island county and Oak Harbor both require a noise disclosure prior to a real estate transaction and have done so since 1992. The Town of Coupeville has chosen not to require a noise disclosure for real estate transactions.

In preparation for the transition of the EA-6B aircraft to the EA-18G aircraft, the Navy conducted an Environmental Assessment (EA) in 2005 in accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act. The EA included operational projections for OLF Cpupevillce flight operati.on!il o.f 6, 12 0 operations annually. .consistent with the :2005 EA, the Navy intends to conduct around 6,120 Field Carrier Landing Practices (FCLPs) this year at OLF Coupeville. Additionally, in September 2013, the Navy initiated an Environmental Impact Statement study to address EA-18G operations at Ault Field and OLF Coupeville for future EA-l8G operational changes.

The Navy has used DLF Coupeville for FCLPs since 1967. Overall operations have fluctuated depending upon national requirements, The tempo of operations at the OLF are driven by carrier deployment schedules and training requirements. Historically, those operations exceeded more than 30,000 operations annually, peaking in the early 1990s. Each landing and takeoff is counted as an individual operation; for example, one landing and subsequent takeoff at DLF Coupeville is two operations. A typical FCLP training period lasts about 45 minutes with 3 5 aircraft flying in a pattern. While there are periods of concentrated FCLP training, these periods are followed by little or no activity.

The training coiiducted at NAS Whidbey Island, both at Ault Field and at OLF Coupeville, is critical for our naval aviators and enables their support of the Navy's global mission, FCLPs are a highly complex flight exercise that trains pilots for landing.on moving aircraft carriers, They are conducted on a runway that is designed to simulate the flight deck on an aircraft carrier. This exercise is conducted in a racetrack type pattern as closely resembling the pattern flown at sea to an actual carrier landing. OLF Coupeville is ideal for conducting FCLPs as it is located in a relatively rural location. That characteristic is also critical for night-time landing practice as there is low ambient light, similar to what

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pilots experience at sea. Landing on an aircraft carrier is one of the most challenging tasks a pilot can perform, and it is a perishable skill that requires training just prior to each underway carrier embarkation,

The Navy strives to be a good neighbor with all local communities. Base officials have been engaged with officials from surrounding communities, including coupeville's elected leaders, for decades. We also frequently meet with school representatives and other community organizations and groups. The base has impleme.nt:ed some recommendations arising from these discussions. For example, when schools notify us about their testing schedules, we adjust our flights if weather conditions and schedules allow. We minimize flights at OLF Coupeville on weekends. Additionally, in an attempt to make the public more aware of our planned FCLP operations, we publish expected flight schedules for OLF Coupeville on our Facebook page and in the Whidbey News Times a week in advance. We also send this flight schedule to other area media outlets for public awareness. The Navy and NAS Whidbey Island receive tremendous support in oak Harbor, Coupeville and other nearby areas and we understand aircraft operations affect residents differently.

We work hard to mitigate community impact while conducting our primary mission .of training naval aircrews to defend our Nation. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

M. K. NORTIER Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer