OFCO Submits Comment on Navy’s NWTT SEIS Expanding Militarization of the Olympic Peninsula

The Department of the Navy announced that it will undertake a supplemental (SEIS) to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing Final EIS/OEIS. The Navy is seeking comments on the scope of the SEIS:

“to assess the potential environmental effects associated with military readiness activities, including training and research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereafter referred to as “training and testing”) activities conducted within the EIS/OEIS Study Area (hereafter referred to as the “Study Area”). As part of this process, the Navy will seek the issuance of federal regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to support future military readiness activities within the Study Area beyond 2020.”

OFCO submitted this comment, renewing concerns of earlier comments about segmenting the NEPA process associated with the more than 30 EAs/EISs/SIESs associated with the increased militarization of the Olympic Peninsula, scheduled over the next three years. The impacts on threatened and endangered species on the OP and in associated marine waters, human health and local economies have not been addressed properly in the Navy’s analyses. The Navy extended the comment deadline to Oct. 6, and provided a web portal for comments, a much-needed change in its procedure to inform and include affected communities.