Panel Drops Its OK of Navy Test Using Low-Flying Planes

Citing possible interference with boating and other water sports, the California Coastal Commission on Tuesday rescinded its “no objections” ruling on a Navy plan to fly jets straight at a Silver Strand beach radar facility.

The agency’s move represents the latest snag in the Navy’s proposal to test its weapons defense systems by using low-flying planes to simulate missile strikes on warships.

Although the action does not block the plan--the commission does not have such veto power--it could affect the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to grant a special airspace permit the Navy needs to conduct the flight testing.

“This will definitely figure into the decision-making process, but I don’t know how much weight it will have compared to other comments,” said Carol Long, a spokeswoman for the FAA’s Western Pacific Region.

Long said the FAA’s regional office will gather public comments on the Navy’s latest environmental study on the project before making a recommendation to the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The FAA is expected to decide later this year whether to issue the special airspace permit.

Commission members voted 8 to 2 to withdraw their approval after concluding that the Navy made changes to the proposal.

The vote came after a lengthy public hearing during a regularly scheduled meeting in Carmel. The action means the commission, which plans and regulates development along the California coast, will further study the proposal to determine its possible effects on activities including recreational and commercial boating and surfing.

Jim Raives, a Coastal Commission official, said the Navy could choose to ignore the agency’s call for more study. But, said Raives: “Very rarely has someone just thumbed their noses at us and just gone ahead with the project.”

Navy officials said they were surprised by Tuesday’s outcome, but added that they would cooperate with the commission.

“We were optimistic that it would turn out out differently,” said Navy spokeswoman Marsha Polk. “We will do what is required to satisfy the requirements of the Coastal Commission.”

Polk said the Navy was not prepared to comment on how the request for further study would affect its plans.

The commission maintains the Navy plan it accepted in September called for holding off on the flights until boats cleared the waters in the proposed 19-square-mile flight area. The Navy now plans to fly the planes while boats are traveling in the area, but says the aircraft will not come closer than 500 feet to the vessels.

“This is a situation where you have two impacts--noise and the psychological impact of jets flying at you,” Raives said.

Facing objection from many of the 6,000 Silver Strand and beach area residents, the Navy revised its original testing proposal in August. Rather than use fighter jets at speeds approaching 600 mph, the Navy decided it would fly only civilian Learjets at speeds no greater than 375 mph. Under the new proposal, the planes--flying as low as 100 feet from the water’s surface--would begin turning back toward the ocean a mile and a half from shore instead of only a mile from shore.

Navy officials maintain that nothing else in their proposal has changed--despite comments from the commission, the Port Hueneme Safety Committee and other groups who said they only recently learned of the 500-foot “safety bubble” concept.

A Navy environmental study on the project released Feb. 29 concluded that flight testing would pose no threat to human lives, shipping or the environment. Navy officials have said the planes would not disrupt shipping traffic and that the 500-foot “safety bubble” meets FAA regulations.

“We need more information from the Navy,” Raives said. “Our question is, What is good enough--500 feet? 1,000 feet? 10 miles? At what point don’t you have an impact?”