Victims of Navy jet noise on Whidbey Island crowded into an overflowing Island County Board of Health meeting on Tuesday, April 19, where they testified about on-going health harms and made emotional pleas for help.
Health Board Members, some of who serve as County Commissioners, were asked to protect citizens from harms caused by low-flying ‘Growler’ jets. The controversial EA-18G ‘Growlers,’ the loudest jets ever to fly, have become the source of noise complaints throughout Puget Sound region. Numerous health studies and declarations from victims and their doctors were presented to the Board.
Health Board members, which includes a Navy representative, were criticized for dismissing their suffering as collateral damage. Commissioner Jill Johnson, who chairs the Board, wrote the Navy in 2013 welcoming the increase in Growler operations at the Navy’s Outlying Field. Touch-and-go flights at the OLF send jets over Ebey’s Reserve and the rooftops of hundreds of homes, sometime low enough for residents to see the pilot’s faces.
“The Board of Health Members are displaying a callous and reckless disregard of the greatest health risk to Island County Citizens, toxic Growler Jet Noise”, testified Ken Pickard, President of COER. “Any reasonable and intelligent person in their positions who possess a decent set of moral and ethical values would take all available actions to immediately and permanently close the OLF to military jet training,” said Pickard.
Citizens also presented the Health Board with real-time studies documenting jet noise that exceeds community standards established by the State of Washington, the EPA, and the World Health Organization. According to Dr. James Dahlgren, a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Toxicology, the noise levels residents are being subjected to represents a “public health crisis.”
If they Navy used its own protocol, the areas beneath the flight paths of Growlers at the OLF would be designated as a ‘hazardous noise zone’ and be assigned to a Hearing Conservation Program requiring involved health monitoring and hearing protection,” testified Bob Wilbur. He asked the Health Board, “Do you, believe the civilians of Island County deserve the same protections the Navy ensures for its personnel?”
The following requests were presented to the Island County Health Board, including the request that the board take a public position and vote.
1. Post public notices in areas where Growler over-flights generate hazardous levels of noise. Such notices should warn of the potential for hazardous noise events and the need to leave the area or wear protective hearing equipment during Growler operations.
2. Close Rhododendron Park and The Central Whidbey Youth Athletic Field to youth activities during Growler operations.
3. Work with The Admiral’s Cove Beach Club to post hazardous noise notices and close the pool during fly times.
4. Work with Seattle Pacific University to post hazardous noise notices on their Campus and at the Public Pool and close the pool and athletic fields during fly times.
5. Send notification to all residences and places of business in areas impacted by hazardous noise warning of the potential for health harms and the availability of hearing protection to be provided by the Island County Health Department.
6. Request reimbursement to the County from the Navy for all costs associated with public mailings, postings, and hearing protection provided to the public.
The testimony to the Island County Health Board on April 19 was recorded and can be heard at: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Commissioners/Pages/BOH.aspx
For more information about Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve, refer to the website at http://citizensofebeysreserve.com.
