“Growler” Draft Environmental Impact Statement: The emperor has no clothes
By Chom Greacen
Jan 21st, 2017
Quiet Skies over San Juan County
The Navy plans to add 36 EA-18G “Growler” fighter jets and roughly double the number of Growler flight operations out of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. The only thing standing in its way is completion of the Environmental Impact Statement process as per the National Environmental Protection Act.
In the Federal EIS process, there are two EIS paths. In the first, a non-federal entity seeking a permit works with a permitting agency (e.g. Army Corps of Engineers), who gathers public input and makes a final decision. In the second approach, the Navy manages the process for itself.
The EIS is prepared by the Navy, for the Navy and is approved by the Navy. The only way to hold the Navy accountable to relevant laws is through citizen participation and, as a last resort, litigation.
The Navy has produced a Draft EIS. Now the onus is on us to point out if and how the DEIS fails to comply with the law. The over-1,400 page DEIS is intimidating, and the Navy appears to act like a royalty. But in reality, the Emperor may have no clothes.