Weather Service’s Plan for Radar Tower Source of Static at Ojai Meeting : Controversy: Most attending public session voice opposition to proposal to upgrade Sulphur Mountain site.

Those who oppose the National Weather Service’s plan to upgrade a radar tower at Sulphur Mountain jammed a heated public meeting Tuesday, fearful further investment could mean the equipment will never be removed.

“We want to eliminate a repeat of what happened six years ago, when the federal government came under the cover of darkness and put up that radar system,” said Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley). “We want to know that this will not have any bearing on the facility being moved.”

Gallegly and county Supervisor Kathy Long organized the meeting, which included officials from the National Weather Service. Supervisor Susan Lacey, who did not attend, also helped arrange the town meeting.

Since the tower’s installation in late 1993, a vocal group of residents has pushed to have the 98-foot-tall Nexrad radar tower relocated, complaining the elevated sphere is an eyesore and raising questions on possible long-term health effects.

About 100 residents attended Tuesday night’s meeting, nearly all opposing the tower. Some even brought yellow signs with illustrations of the weather equipment with its sphere replaced by a skull and crossbones.

“As you can tell, this community feels violated,” Rick Loy told two representatives from the National Weather Service. “The money spent on the structure should be spent on moving the tower out of here.”

The proposed $190,000 upgrade includes replacing a storage trailer with a more permanent prefabricated 12-by-24-foot metal and stucco building, and adding a transitional power source so the radar isn’t disabled when power outages force the system to rely on a generator.

Officials said the good done by the tower outweighs local concerns.

“We always keep the mission forefront,” said Vickie Nadolski, western regional director for the weather service. “That’s to protect life and property. Radar has been a valuable resource.”

The tower helps meteorologists predict heavy storms in flood-vulnerable Ventura County, she said.

Construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 27 and last though mid-October.

Despite residents’ concerns, the weather service said it has no intention of changing its plans. Tuesday night’s meeting was merely informational, said Todd Morris, the weather service’s chief meteorologist for the Oxnard area.

The agency insists the electromagnetic energy emitted from the tower are far below the level that might cause harm.

Weather forecasters use the Doppler effect, bouncing radar beams off distant clouds, to check their moisture content and determine how soon rain might be expected, based on the information received.

The weather service had planned to limit its public discussion of the project to a Sept. 14 Board of Supervisors meeting, but was persuaded by local politicians to have representatives at Tuesday’s meeting.

Gallegly is pushing federal legislation that would require the Weather Service to move the tower.