The
INSIDE
OPALCO, anti Robin Hood? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Waste District gets award
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Great Pairing
George Willis photo
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VOLUME 38, NUMBER 18 • MAY 5, 2015
Citizens ask federal court for injunction for Growlers Submitted by Citizens of Ebey's Reserve
The U.S. Navy is being taken back to federal court by citizens seeking an injunction to halt the “ongoing and irreparable injury” from the “noise assault” created by the EA-18G Growler attack jets based at Whidbey Naval Air Station. The controversial Growlers are the loudest jets ever to fly and are the source of increasing noise complaints throughout Puget Sound. The Motion for Preliminary Injunction was filed last week in the United States District Court, Western District at Seattle by the Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve for a Healthy, Safe and Peaceful Environment. It is supported by declarations of victims and experts describing a host of ongoing injuries suffered by residents living near the Navy’s Outlying Field in Coupeville. The OLF is used for repetitive touch-andgo Field Carrier Landing Practice operations, and Growlers fly a few hundred feet over the rooftops of more than 600 homes and more than 1,200 residents, including many children. The homes are located in the undesignated “Accident Potential Zone” where Growler flight paths are low enough for residents to see the pilots’ faces and cross directly over Ebey’s Landing National
Historic Reserve, County Recycling, Island Transportation Center, two major nonprofit facilities, farms, and schools. “We are turning to the court because the Navy is knowingly harming the very people it is sworn to protect,” said Ken Pickard, a COER board member and plaintiff. “It is shameful and intolerable that the Navy has turned our community into a sacrifice zone with the weapons we pay for.” To justify the reprehensible impacts on our community, the Navy has turned a blind eye to actions and comments among its personnel and retirees who have frequently called those affected citizens unpatriotic. “It’s quite the opposite,” concluded Pickard, “we all care deeply.” COER’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction is supported by the declaration of an acoustic engineering firm that measured actual noise levels in the vicinity of the OLF. Those noise levels, which are uncontested by the Navy, exceed community noise standards established by the State of Washington, the EPA, and the World Health Organization. The declaration of Dr. James Dahlgren, a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Toxicology, states,
Thank you, Lopez
W
e would sincerely like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended and helped with Corey’s celebration.
From the folks who mopped the floors. did dishes and cleaned the toilets and everyone in between. Mary for her planning abilities and calming a distraught mother with crazy phone calls. Robb, from Clipper Seafoods, for making the trip and delivering a beautiful message along with reading a couple of tough letters. Christian Gruff Leatham who loved Corey like a brother for the true and unbiased story of his best friend and partner in crime. Captain Sam Collier for his comforting letter, making parents proud. These two were fishing the Berring Sea when they heard of Corey’s crossing. Thank you Sam for keeping Gruff safe and on the boat. Shawn and Britney, for the perfectly delivered heartfelt words, meals and endless compassion. Katie for her angel voice, and Shawn for making Garth Brooks proud. Cindi, Lenna, Sandi, Jessica and everyone else who brought in the beauty of nature with the incredible flowers. Brendon for the amazing salmon and everyone else who created the most magnificent feast. Corey was a lover of great food! Ron at PSR for coming to work sick to print programs, and generously donating them.
A very special thank you to Deb and Dale Davidson, Mike and Sandi McElroy, Jamie and Ken Bair for your unending support over the last few weeks. The whole crew who worked so hard at the Community Center to make Corey’s celebration so meaningful: Raite, Kate, Tammi, Jade and Megan, Jamie, Ken, Debra, Julienne and Donovan. I am trying to recall all of you by name, but will be impossible for me at this point. If I haven’t mentioned you by name know you are in our hearts, and very much appreciated! The very much loved Zachary and Jessica for the slideshow, pictures, music, decorations and the list goes on. Generally trying to keep us somewhat grounded all while grieving the loss of an only brother. A very special thank you to Corey’s grandmother, Susie Cawley, who was beyond generous! The greatest thank you to Jasmine for the living legacy of Corey: Griffin Olliver. And to the Lopez Community Center and last but not least, Lopez deputies, fire and EMS crew, our amazing paramedics for their unending compassion and dedication to our community. As much as our hearts have been ripped out of our chest, the community and our families have given us the strength to go on.
– Corey’s Family
“The noise from the Navy’s Growler aircraft landing and taking off from Outlying Landing Field Coupeville, Washington is causing and has caused serious adverse health effects in the residents as described in the thirteen declarations of residents living near the field. As predicted from hundreds of scientific studies of health effects from noise at the levels measured near the OLF Coupeville by JGL Acoustics in 2013, such levels of noise pressure are causing insomnia, anxiety, depression, impaired
concentration, hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hypertension, worsening diabetes, gastrointestinal difficulties and a major decrement in quality of life.” The declaration of a treating physician states, “with reasonable medical certainty, subsequent to the introduction of the EA18G Growler Aircraft at OLF Coupeville,” that a patient’s health “seriously declined” with Growlers flying “a couple hundred feet high” creating an “extreme amount of stress and exacerbating health problems that include anxiety/ depression and sleep disturbance.” The declaration of an advanced practice nurse specializing in occupational and environmental health for over twenty-five states in her “professional opinion” www.lopezstudiotour.org that nighttime operations at the OLF are “exquisitely exacerbating the stress reaction which causes a Labor Day Weekend cascade of health effects Sept. 5 (10-5 pm) & Sept. 6 (10 -4 pm) listed.” “We are extremely disappointed with our elected officials who won’t speak out on behalf of those they purport to represent,” said COER Board Member, Maryon Attwood. “Congressman Rick Larsen, who takes credit for bringing the Growlers to Whidbey Island, supports the Navy’s use of the OLF Your Senior Memory (Full Name, Plans even though he admits to and Dreams for the Future, Most never having heard the Memorable Moments, If you could Growler noise experienced pick a super power, what would it by the community.” COER be and why?. 150 words max) and President, Michael Monson, Senior Photo are due by May 15th. stated, “Larsen has ignored Please submit your entries to: repeated invitations to visit Kathryn Sherman our homes and experience ksherman@sanjuanjournal.com the noise that is destroying our health and quality of life.”
Lopez Studio Tour Artist Registration @
Deadline: May 8th
ATTENTION CLASS OF 2015
SEE INJUNCTION, PAGE 5