Q U I E T S K I E S
Over San Juan County
News Archive 2022-23-24
November 6, 2024: Loss of aircraft and pilots. Our hearts are heavy with the families and comrades of the pilots. Thank you to the brave search crews finding the aviators and bringing them back to rest in peace. Our pilots' and community's safety is always our priority and we are sorry for this tragic loss.
October 4, 2024: Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER) has notified the Navy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) of its intent to sue over failures of the Biological Opinions for the expanded Growler Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Northwest Training and Testing EIS to fully account for the impacts of Growler noise on marbled murrelets.[2] This small seabird feeds at sea but nests inland in old growth forest trees of the Olympic Peninsula, flying sometimes a hundred or more miles each day to incubate their single egg and feed the hatchling.
Were the Navy to lose COER’s ESA challenge, its noise harassment of the marbled murrelet would be ruled as an unauthorized illegal action violating the Act. That would require the Navy to cease flying at elevations that would harass marbled murrelets in their feeding and nesting areas.
COER’s action enlarges a prior National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lawsuit successfully brought by the State of Washington in which the Court ruled the Navy had not fully and forthrightly considered the impacts of Growler noise on birds. COER’s action addresses Endangered Species Act (ESA) noncompliance by the Navy and USFWS with ESA provisions intended to protect species, like the marbled murrelet, at risk of extinction.
Sept 24, 2024: Participate in this Listening Session, sponsored by the Sound Defense Alliance,
October 4th from 6-7:30pm. Hear from folks across the region who will talk about their experiences with Growler jet impacts. It feels better when we share! Please RSVP.
August 31, 2024:
From the Whidbey News-Times, Thursday, August 20, 2024
"Judge sets deadline for Growler impact study."
A federal judge ruled that the Navy’s errors in studying the environmental effects of noise from the EA-18G Growler jets were so significant that he set a specific deadline for re-doing the Environmental Impact Statement. In addition, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones ruled in the Aug. 16 decision that the Navy must submit status updates every 90 days until the May 1, 2025 deadline, although the Navy can request extensions.
June 22, 2024: Here is a video that offers further explanation of the UW Study on the Health Impacts of growler jet noise, as reported below. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1omoTcEYVKtHUO8d-b_rbgcSvCu5ahZBL/view?usp=sharing
May 31, 2024. Make sure you read the articles below about the UW study on Health Impacts. Also, take a look at this from Scientific American: Quiet! Our Loud World Is Making Us Sick.
May 12, 2024: Ongoing research in the College of the Environment of the University of Washington has produced a study on "Population health implications of exposure to pervasive military aircraft noise pollution." Click to find this study AND the subsequent Seattle Times article. >>Results of the study indicate "Over 74,000 people within the area of aircraft noise exposure were at risk of adverse health effects. Of those exposed, substantial numbers were estimated to be highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed, and several schools were exposed to levels that place them at risk of delay in childhood learning. Noise in some areas exceeded thresholds established by federal regulations for public health, residential land use and noise mitigation action, as well as the ranges of established exposure-response relationships." The Seattle Times article calls on the Navy to "turn down the volume on Whidbey ‘Growler’ operations." The complete study can also be found at st.news/growler
February 13, 2024: Our neighbors in Central and Northeastern Washingon may want to raise their awareness of plans for Growler activity growth in their area. Virtual meetings on Feb 13 and Feb 15. Salish Sea residents know what Growler growth means!
February 8, 2024: The Sound Defense Alliance offers action and support regarding the issues around Growler jet noise. During this Listening Session, scheduled for Feb 13, hear about the experiences of people living around the Salish Sea under some of the world's loudest jets: the Navy's EA-18G - Growlers. https://secure.everyaction.com/S7ssu6eAOESx2LysdPQZiA2
February 1, 2024: Did you know?? We publish the weekly carrier training schedule of Ault Field and Outlying Field (Coupeville). This information is provided weekly by Naval Air Station Whidbey.
January 25, 2024: Read our Monthly Update.
January 11, 2024: Review the Annual Report of jet noise data submitted within this region in 2023.
November 23, 2023: Learn more about the Sound Defense Alliance, and its work to protect communities and the natural environment from harmful Navy Growler jet activity around the Salish Sea, Puget Sound, and Olympic Peninsula.
September 6, 2023: "Judge rules increased jet flights at Whidbey Island Navy base can continue amid review" Seattle Times article. But Navy must redo environmental impact study.
August 7, 2023: Join this Webinar: Thursday, August 24, 1 pm. "Final Results of the UW Study : Human Health and Well-being Implications of Pervasive Navy Aircraft Noise Pollution."
https://washington.zoom.us/j/94760994125
August 9, 2023: Sound Defense Alliance fights Growler jet noise for all of us. It is holding its 5th Anniversary Event on August 30th in Coupeville. They can provide transportation to and from the ferries and invite San Juan Island County folks to celebrate. Celebration includes: "Our Progress and What's Next". RSVP below:
Date: August 30th
Time: 4:30 - 7:30 PM (program starts at 6:45 PM)
Location: Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge - 63 Jacobs Rd, Coupeville WA 98239
RSVP link: https://secure.everyaction.com/Y8AyCnH0tk29PgRlWf3eyw2
June 20, 2023: "Noise Could Take Years Off Your Life: Here's How." This New York Times article presents details about the effects of noise such as what we experience from Growler Jets.
February 14, 2023: Please join the Sound Defense Alliance for the launch of their Enviro-Film Series. (FREE!) The first film, EVER GREEN, is a 30 minute documentary telling the inspirational story of a community commitment to keep Whidbey Island a special place and the vital role played by Marianne Edain, Steve Erickson, and the Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) to help make that happen.
ONLINE FILM SCREENING: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28th from 5:30 - 6:45 PM Pacific.
The film's trailer can be viewed at:
January 13, 2023: Jet noise reports for 2022 exceeded those of 2021 by 36%. Read the jet noise summary for 2022 here.
October 21, 2022: Learn the Science about the impact of Growler Jet Noise. Join the first webinar that introduces a study funded by the UW Population Health Initiative. Here is the link to the recording of the October 27 webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79HGX8GkQdc
September 11, 2022: Energy, pollution, climate change! Did you know that 14 Priuses driving across the country produce the amount of CO2 that one Growler jet produces in a single hour of flight? For more about the effect of the Navy’s Growler operations listen to these podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eddca13e-a3c3-48c3-a18c-7d22e8c8afbc/the-sound-defense-alliance-podcast
August 11, 2022: First, read the August 2 Press Release below. For the next steps, read the letter from Anne Harvey, Sound Defense Alliance Chair: "Restore the balance between Navy’s needs and civilian communities impacted by Growler jets."
August 2, 2022: Judge Rules Against the Navy
From the COER Press Release:
It’s official. A long-awaited decision that began in 2019 has been made by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington today, August 2, 2022. It is the consequential ruling the community had hoped for.
Judge Jones adopted, in full, the Report and Recommendation provided by Magistrate Creatura in December 2021. That report was the result of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) challenge brought by the plaintiffs—the State of Washington and Citizen’s of Ebey’ s Reserve (COER) and Paula Spina—against the United States Department of the Navy.
Judge Jones made no changes to the magistrate’s recommendations. His December report had admonished the Navy’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):
Here, despite a gargantuan administrative record, covering nearly 200,000 pages of studies, reports, comments, and the like, the Navy selected methods of evaluating the data that supported its goal of increasing Growler operations. The Navy did this at the expense of the public and the environment, turning a blind eye to data that would not support this intended result.
Or, to borrow the words of noted sports analyst Vin Scully, the Navy appears to have used certain statistics “much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination.”
For the full release from COER click here.
July 19, 2022: The numbers of reports of excessive jet noise around our region are increasing. Data from jet noise reports submitted by regional residents are available here. Of special interest are maps indicating the density of noise reports in various locations.
June 2, 2022: Are there some positive developments regarding the offensive noise from Growler jets? Read this note from Rob Smith, National Parks Conservation Association.
May 16, 2022: The Sound Defense Alliance has notified us of an opportunity to participate in a national survey being conducted by Quiet Communities Inc. (QCI), a national nonprofit organization originally focused on commercial jet noise and now including military jet noise in their scope of work. They have developed a survey for community members to describe the impacts that aviation noise and pollution are having on their health and that of their families. You are invited to participate. Click on this SURVEY.
Preliminary results will be available at the QCI conference on June 16th (9:00AM - 11:15AM PST), Aviation Noise, Pollution, and Health: Connecting the Dots. Please check their calendar for the event and/or sign up for their email list to receive the invitation. The deadline for submission is May 31, 2022, 5:00PM PST.
April 4, 2022: A judge ruled against a decision to allow the Navy to use Washington State Parks for covert training. Deception Pass State Park had been on the list of potential training sites for the Navy SEALs. See the story.
March 20, 2022: Jet Noise reports continue to increase. Thank you for your input - we know it takes effort. Read our latest Monthly Update, with special notes about how to assure that your reports of jet noise on the website are accurate.