PUHI — The Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service heard a range of comments on the military’s use of sonar in the Hawai‘i Range Complex at Kaua‘i Community College. The gathering Thursday offered information about and welcomed feedback on
PUHI — The Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service heard a range of comments on the military’s use of sonar in the Hawai‘i Range Complex at Kaua‘i Community College.
The gathering Thursday offered information about and welcomed feedback on a supplement to the draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the complex, which includes the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the Westside and more than 235,000 nautical miles around Hawai‘i.
The EIS process is required a part of the Navy’s plans to conduct current and emerging training and testing in the complex and upgrade its capabilities to defend against existing and future threats.
The supplement was added to last summer’s draft EIS/OEIS to address new studies on sonar use in Hawai‘i waters.
It spotlights three areas: the methods used to evaluate the effects of mid-frequency active sonar on marine mammals, the amount and types of sonar allocated to each alternative, and a new alternative for the Navy’s practices in the area.
The draft EIS/OEIS focuses on the environmental effects of current sonar use and increased levels of Navy training in Hawai‘i, along with research, development, testing and evaluation activities.
According to the Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office, the supplement and the draft should be reviewed together, not as standalone documents.
A similar gathering was held on Maui yesterday and will be repeated on Big Island and O‘ahu next week — one of many steps before the agencies submit a final EIS.
While a few comments on Thursday were aimed at the Navy’s presence in Hawai‘i, most were directed at the impact of mid-frequency sonar on marine mammals.
Because this was a public hearing, Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, commanding officer of the Pacific Missile Range Facility, and Jolie Harrison of the Fisheries Service could not respond.
The first speaker of the evening was Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura.
“I am deeply concerned of the impacts of sonar in naval training,” Yukimura said. “I acknowledge the Navy’s need to use sonar, but it should not be at the expense of ocean mammals.”
Yukimura suggested that the Navy consider conducting its training exercises in the summer, when endangered humpback whales are not present in such large numbers in the Hawaiian Islands.
She also questioned the use of sonar, suggesting that there could be other methods to detect submarines.
Charter boat captain Chris Bane said he travels across the channel to Ni‘ihau almost daily and has logged his marine mammal sightings, including melonhead and pilot whales, for the last 10 years.
“Going across the channel has opened my eyes as to what is going on out there,” Bane said. “A lot of people aren’t aware of what’s going on out there.”
Bane said he feels the Navy sonar training needs to change because the sonar is too powerful and can kill or seriously injure marine mammals.
“We need those animals out there,” Bane said.
An electronic copy of the supplement can be viewed online at www.govsupport.us.hrc. It is also available for review at the Lihu‘e and Waimea public libraries.
A decision on the final EIS documents is expected this summer.
To comment:
Comments may be submitted until April 7 and should be mailed to: Pacific Missile Range Facility, Public Affairs Officer, P.O. Box 128, Kekaha, HI 96752. Comments may also be submitted through the project Web site at www.govsupport.us.hrc and via e-mail at sdeis_hrc@govsupport.us.
• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.
