Seattle mayor files protest against proposed US Navy's air, water training exercises

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan filed a letter of protest Wednesday on behalf of the city in response to the United States Navy's Draft Northwest Training and Testing Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

This is a revision of a previous EIS for readiness training and activities.

According to a press release, Durkan wrote the City's opposition to the proposal was because the training could endanger the Southern resident orca whales and other marine mammals in the Puget Sound, citing the Navy's use of sonar.

"These activities will impact our marine mammals, especially orcas, who rely upon echolocation for hunting and navigation and sound to communicate within and between pods. Any loss in the ability to use bio sonar and vocalize will impact critical survival behaviors for the Southern resident orcas, including feeding, resting, and mating," wrote Durkan.

The EIS says the use of sonar could have the potential of exposure to marine mammals.

"A small number of minor to moderate behavioral reactions or temporary hearing threshold shifts to an individual animal over the course of a year are unlikely to have any significant costs or long-term consequences for that individual. Considering these factors and the mitigation measures that would be implemented as described in Chapter 5 (Mitigation), long-term consequences for the species or stocks would not be expected," the EIS says.

The EIS has a section (Section 3.4) devoted to marine mammal impact where it breaks down all possible impacts to marine mammals from the proposed training and testing. Other impacts they considered is the use of explosive munitions in the water or on the water's surface; the use of electromagnetic devices and high-energy lasers; the use of vessels, in-water devices, military expended materials, and seafloor devices; the use of wires, cables, decelerators/parachutes, and biodegradable polymers; expended materials that could be ingested by marine mammals; and secondary impacts, such as explosive byproducts, chemicals and metals.

Durkan wrote the City of Seattle is the largest U.S. city within the critical habitat of Southern resident orcas. Seattle has taken action to protect and improve conditions for Puget Sound.

“Last summer, the collective heart of Seattle broke as we watched the mother of a dead orca calf mourn her offspring for 17 days. Orcas have lived in this region for at least 5,000 years and are part of our Coast Salish people, cultural identity, fishing economy, and tourism industry,” wrote Mayor Durkan. “But Washington’s Southern resident orcas are facing a dismal fate due to diminished salmon, toxic contaminants, and disturbance from noise and vessel traffic. Even the loss of one single orca would greatly undermine decades of recovery efforts—and even make it impossible."

Durkan says the Navy should prioritize increased protections to "reduce noise and disturbances affecting the Southern resident orca immediately."

According to the Navy's website, the navy specifically evaluated new, relevant information to prepare the new EIS, such as more recent marine species density data.

"The Navy prepared the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS to support the issuance of federal regulatory permits and authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act," the site says.

The Navy was taking public comment on the EIS until June 12.

"I call on the U.S. Navy to do their part to keep our waters healthy and safe for all sea life in the Puget Sound," Durkan ended the letter.