Mendocino Coast Says No to Naval Weapons Testing!

The Navy’s Proposed Action is to conduct training and testing activities primarily within existing range complexes, operating areas, testing ranges and select Navy pierside locations in the Pacific Northwest. The Proposed Action includes pierside sonar testing conducted as part of overhaul, modernization, maintenance and repair activities at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor and Naval Station Everett.

Evaluating Alternatives

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives to achieve the purpose and need of the Proposed Action. Two “action” alternatives (Alternative 1 and Alternative 2) that meet the Navy’s purpose and need are currently under consideration. Analysis of a “no action” alternative is also required. These alternatives, and other reasonable alternatives identified during the scoping process, will be analyzed to help determine the appropriate level and type of training and testing activities to meet the Navy’s requirements.
No Action Alternative
Under the No Action Alternative, the Navy would continue current training and testing activities as defined by existing environmental planning documents, including the Northwest Training Range Complex EIS/OEIS and the Naval Sea Systems Command Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Range Complex Extension EIS/OEIS. The baseline testing activities also include other testing events that historically occur in the NWTT Study Area (see Figure 1) and have been subject to previous analysis pursuant to NEPA and Executive Order 12114. Analysis of the No Action Alternative provides a baseline, enabling decision makers to compare the magnitude of the environmental effects of no action (current activities) to the effects of the action alternatives. Baseline activities do not include training with sonar in Puget Sound.

Alternative 1

Alternative 1 includes adjustments to types and levels from baseline activities conducted in the NWTT Study Area to support current and planned Navy at-sea training and testing requirements. Under Alternative 1, sink exercises would be eliminated.
Alternative 1 includes:

• Testing activities at Navy pierside locations in Puget Sound, the Carr Inlet Operations Area and the Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility
• Mission requirements associated with force structure changes, including those resulting from the development, testing and introduction of new vessels, aircraft and weapons systems into the fleet

Alternative 1 includes some activities that were not analyzed in previous documents. New activities being considered include:

• Use of new and existing unmanned vehicles and their acoustic sensors, in support of homeland security and anti-terrorism/force protection. This type of training is critical in protecting the nation’s military and civilian harbors, ports and shipping lanes.
• Use of 0.50-caliber blanks in Puget Sound in support of force protection training of the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Security Force.
• Addition of a biennial maritime homeland defense mine countermeasure training exercise in Puget Sound and analyzing the amount of time acoustic sensors are used during that event.

Alternative 2

Alternative 2 includes all activities in Alternative 1 plus adjustments to the type and level of training and testing activities. Under Alternative 2, sink exercises would be eliminated.
Environmental Resources to be Analyzed
Some of the environmental resource areas and issues to be studied in the NWTT EIS/OEIS are listed below. The public is encouraged to provide input on these or other resource areas for consideration in the Draft EIS/OEIS.

• Ocean and biological resources, including marine mammals and threatened and endangered species
• Terrestrial resources
• Air quality
• Sediments and water quality
• Airborne soundscape
• Cultural resources
• Transportation
• Regional economy
• Recreation
• Public health and safety