Navy submits plans to monitor jet noise near NAS Whidbey Island

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- The U.S. Navy has announced plans to monitor jet noise around Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state and a base in California.

The Navy submitted the plan to Congress on March 19, outlining a general timeline and the terms for monitoring, including the use of 10 or more sound level monitors in the vicinity of usual flight paths, the Skagit Valley Herald reported.

The American National Standards Institute and the Acoustical Society of America assisted in crafting the plan.

The Navy will next submit a monitoring report including testing results, comparisons of the results to previous noise modeling, and any potential changes to operations.

The projected timeline is expected to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The details of the meters, their placement, and specific site requirements are not yet known to the Navy,” Navy news desk officer Emily Wilkin said. Exact locations for the sound monitoring equipment and kind of equipment used will be coordinated with local officials and through a contractor agreement, she added.

“We want to make sure our noise monitoring effort is comprehensive and that the data collected meets the intent of Congress and addresses local concerns,” said Lucian Niemeyer, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment.

Residents in nearby neighborhoods, including Coupeville and Oak Harbor, have raised concerns about the affect noise from military aircraft will have on residents’ health and the surrounding environment.

The Navy has said the plan is intended “to ensure community concerns are addressed,” so no public meetings are scheduled to discuss its details.