Political Waves Hit Navy Training Plan

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Political Waves Hit Navy Training Plan
March 09, 2009
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The U.S. Navy wants to increase significantly its training exercises off the West Coast and in the Puget Sound area, but some lawmakers, scientists and environmental groups have demanded a more rigorous review of the plan.

The Navy drops bombs, fires missiles and launches torpedoes during training exercises in parts of the Northwest Training Range Complex, which stretches off the coast from Washington to Northern California. The Navy wants to let local sailors do more training close to home.

The range also includes air space in Eastern Washington and Idaho and land in the Puget Sound area.

"The Navy has a mandate to train and equip sailors before going into combat," said Kimberly Kler, an environmental planner and coordinator of the project's review. "This is realistic training for them."

But a number of local scientists and environmental groups say the Navy shouldn't go forward until it completes a more comprehensive report on environmental impacts, plus suggests more alternatives to the plan. Critics say the current report is vague and incomplete, especially because the training range covers the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary off Washington. The sanctuary's advisory council agrees the current report lacks specific information on training activities, said Terrie Klinger, a University of Washington associate professor of marine affairs and chairwoman of the sanctuary's advisory council.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/political-waves-hit-navy-training-plan.html?col=1186032311124