[CPEO-MEF] Info quiet about Super Hornet noise impact

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North Carolina
JACKSONVILLE DAILY NEWS
Info quiet about Super Hornet noise impact
By Eric Steinkopff
August 11, 2003

Military officials have indicated that area residents would not hear
more aircraft noise if Navy jets end up at Cherry Point Air Station, but
there are no guarantees about the future.

Residents in Onslow, Carteret and Jones counties would not be affected
by the recommended basing of two to four Navy F/A-18E and F Super Hornet
squadrons in Craven County, Cherry Point officials said.

But recommendations in a joint land-use study of the area around Camp
Lejeune includes building restrictions for an air corridor approach that
extends over Swansboro and Hubert, an area frequently used by Marine
F/A-18 C and D model Hornets as they deliver ordnance at the Lejeune's
G-10 impact range.

How often they practice at Camp Lejeune and information on the type of
bombs they drop was not available.

Their louder cousins, the Navy Super Hornets, would not use Camp Lejeune
G-10 impact range, New River Air Station or Camp Davis airfield, said
Dan Brown, deputy director of operations for Marine Corps air bases in
the east.

The Navy Super Hornets also would not use Carteret County's Atlantic or
Bogue airfields or Jones County's Oak Grove airfield near Maysville on a
regular basis, he said.

"There is no projection for the F/A-18 Super Hornet to use G-10," Brown
said.

"The runways are not suitable at Atlantic Field and Camp Davis. Oak
Grove has too small a runway, and Bogue (is unsuitable) because of the
runway and the environment.

"There are no operations projected for New River (Air Station) because
it requires a 9,000-foot mandated runway (to train in Super Hornets, but
they could use the area in case of an emergency (landing)," Brown said.

The 12-plane squadrons and support personnel are part of a controversial
move to bring two or four of the units to Cherry Point in a deal that
could include relocating some Washington County residents to build an
outlying landing field suitable for practice aircraft carrier take-offs
and landings in what is currently farmland.

An 1,800-page final environmental impact statement released in July
spells out in excruciating detail why Navy officials like the idea of
bringing the landing field to Washington County instead of using Oceana
naval airfield in Virginia.

Besides issues of wetlands, migratory birds, endangered species,
construction and proposed flight plans, the report found that there
would be eight to 10 times more people and potential noise complaints at
Oceana.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.jdnews.com/Details.cfm?StoryID=14915

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