-

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

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LCDR Micah Murphy, USN

Office of Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 2os10
2457

Dear LCDR Murphy:

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