The much awaited report evaluating the potential effects of home basing the Navy’s F35C Joint Strike Fighter squadron was just released for public comments naming Naval Air Station Lemoore as the preferred base option.
Naval Air Facility El Centro and NAS Lemoore are the two bases being considered to house these fighter planes.
And although the Navy has identified NAS Lemoore as the preferred alternative, no final decision has been made. The secretary of the Navy, or his designee, will publish a record of decision outlining the basing decision after public comments on the draft environmental impact statement and the publication of the final EIS, according to a press release.
For years supporters have advocated the basing at NAF El Centro, noting the squadron would bring much-needed economic benefits to the area. In hope of bringing those benefits, various local leaders have been working under the umbrella of the Joint Strike Fighter Coalition, an organization that has lobbied decision makers in Washington, D.C., to convince them El Centro is the best option for the squadron.
After learning about the DEIS determination, coalition members contacted Thursday were not surprised about NAS Lemoore being listed as the preferred option.
“I think we all anticipated that that was going to be the immediate response,” said Coalition member and Imperial City Manager Marlene Best. She added however that with the DEIS released, now is the time for community members to contact the Navy and tell it the county is the best place for the squadron. “We need community members to step up,” Best said.
Coalition member Steve Birdsall agreed with Best.
“We need as much public support as we can get,” said Birdsall, who emphasized that the naming of Lemoore “doesn’t mean that we have lost the fight.”
The document, drafted by the Navy, reviewed airfields and airspace, noise, air quality, safety, land use, infrastructure and utilities as well as socioeconomics — to name a few. It focuses on the facilities and functions of the proposed action, including aircraft replacement and transition, infrastructure renovation, construction and demolition as well as personnel changes.
It also notes that alternative 1, which is basing the squadron in El Centro, could cost some $790 million. On the other hand, basing the squadron in NAS Lemoore could cost around $242 million, according to the DEIS. This last figure includes improvements at NAS Lemoore, as well as certain renovations at NAF El Centro, where the squadron would hold so-called detachment training would take place.
But Supervisor Jack Terrazas wasn’t surprised about NAF El Centro having a higher cost. Moreover, Terrazas said that the next thing to review is how much would operations cost be on a yearly basis, since it is believed that basing the squadron in Imperial County could be cheaper in the long run.
He added the coalition will have a meeting in the next few days to discuss the DEIS and review that all the information listed is accurate.
Meanwhile, Best encouraged the community to attend a public hearing set for March 21 at Southwest High School’s multipurpose room and tell Navy representatives that local residents want the economic benefits the squadron would bring and help national defense at the same time. The meetings will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Staff Writer Alejandro Dávila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
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