Navy Conducts Public Hearing on Undersea Training Range
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS051129-08
Release Date: 11/29/2005 3:06:00 PM
By Journalist 1st Class Mike England, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command held an open house and a public hearing Nov. 21 on the proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR), which would be located more than 50 miles off Jacksonville’s coastline, at the Wilson Center for the Arts at Florida Community College Jacksonville’s South Campus.
The range would instrument a 500-square-nautical-mile area of the ocean with undersea cables and sensor nodes, and would be primarily used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training by U.S. Atlantic Fleet units. Establishment of the range would not result in an increase in sonar activity, but would allow monitoring of exercises currently conducted.
"The purpose of this event is to educate the public about what the Navy would like to do and to listen to any concerns or inputs they may have," said Jim Brantley, with U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
The open house featured five different booths encompassing different areas of concern for many citizens. They addressed topics such as the purpose and need for the range, location and installation of the range and the effects of sound on marine mammals. Subject matter experts passed out information and listened to the concerns of Jacksonville’s citizens throughout the open house.
The public hearing kicked off with opening remarks by Capt. Bill Toti, officer-in-charge of the Fleet ASW Command, Norfolk, Va. Toti explained that the growing threat of ultra-quiet submarines makes the USWTR an essential training tool for submariners.
"USWTR is a critical part of the Navy’s ASW training," Toti said during the hearing. "There are no training ranges offshore of the U.S. East Coast that can replicate the open ocean and provide real-time feedback on the effectiveness of our ASW capabilities. This is important because modern submarines are becoming increasingly quiet as technology improves. Active sonar continues to be the best way to detect a quiet submarine before it is close enough to fire a torpedo."
Aileen Smith, natural resources manager for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, addressed the environmental impact the training range would have on the area. "We have spent a lot of time evaluating the potential impact of the range and have come up with a plan to minimize its impact on both the environment and [marine species]," she said. "There will also be long-term, independent monitoring of the site by scientists."
Copies of the Navy’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) were available for citizens to look over during the open house. The DEIS went over the Navy’s proposed construction and operation of the USWTR.
It would be located approximately 50 nautical miles from the coastline to the center point of the range, outside of U.S. territorial waters. The instrumental area would be connected to the shore via a single trunk cable. The proposed action would require logistical support for ASW training, including the launch and recovery of non-explosive exercise training torpedoes and submarine simulators.
A few citizens in attendance voiced their opinions about the proposed project. Some came out in favor of the USWTR, while others were concerned by the range’s potential environmental impact.
Jeff Chastain, a Jacksonville citizen since 1959, came to the open house to support the Navy and learn more about the proposed project. "It seems like the Navy really needs this range to keep their fighting edge," he stated. "I have no doubt that the Navy will do everything it can to ensure that the environmental impact will be minimal."
Smith said the Navy has received many helpful ideas during previous public hearings on how whales and other sea life could be protected. She said that one of the reasons the Navy conducts hearings such as this is to take suggestions from citizens about ideas they may have overlooked.
The Northeast Florida coastline is one of three potential sites for the new range. The coasts of North Carolina and Virginia are the other areas. The Navy currently has an instrumented training range off the U.S. West Coast.
Navy officials have extended the public comment period to allow for additional public review and comment. Citizens, groups or organizations have until Dec. 28 to comment on the USWTR by writing to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, ATTN: Code EV42KJ (Keith Jenkins), 6506 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Va. 23508-1278.
For additional information on Navy activities involving sonar and marine species, visit www.whalesandsonar.navy.mil.
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