Coastal Panel Commends Navy

The California Coastal Commission on Tuesday credited the Navy with improving health and safety procedures at its weapons-testing center in Port Hueneme, which has come under fire by neighbors afraid of radar emissions.

But the coastal group asked that military officials take additional steps to ensure better oversight and neighborhood relations at its Naval Surface Warfare Engineering Facility.

Commissioners declined at a hearing in downtown Los Angeles to take any formal action against the Navy, despite urging by the Beacon Foundation, an Oxnard group critical of the warfare test center.

However, commissioners made clear that the Navy was still on its watch list and could be taken to task in the future if it fails to follow through with new recommendations by commission staff.

Those recommendations include: that the Navy detail all power and emission levels for radar in this year’s annual report, due out in January; that it update operating procedures to reflect its commitment not to expose tall ships to radar; and that it certify in writing each year that all commitments to the coastal commission are being honored.

The Navy said it would obey those requests but promised only to consider a fourth one--that it notify the commission in advance of any significant changes in its operations.

Cautious Optimism From Foundation Chief

Lee Quaintance, a director of the Beacon Foundation, said he wished the commission had been tougher, but was pleased that the Navy seems willing to cooperate on most points.

“We have the commission taking the high road, trying to be optimistic about the compliance,” he said. “They’re [choosing] hope over history here, but maybe it will work.”

Other critics scoffed. Mark Massara, director of the Sierra Club’s coastal program, called the proceedings a “fool’s errand,” saying the Navy continues to sidestep neighbors’ concerns about the effect of radar on the surrounding community.

“Is it too much to ask that these potentially dangerous radar emissions not adversely impact innocent civilians and wildlife trying to lead a peaceful existence in the immediate vicinity?” Massara asked. “Apparently for the Navy, it is.”

The facility has been the target of a six-year fight by area residents worried about the microwave radiation it emits. Tensions peaked last year after the Navy expanded the facility, despite the coastal commission’s ruling that it should first put a civilian expert on a Navy panel monitoring health issues.

Those developments occurred under the watch of the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s former commander, Capt. James “Stretch” Phillips. Upon leaving his post in July, Phillips spent a portion of his farewell speech blasting the Beacon Foundation as unpatriotic and selfish.

Capt. Alan Maiorano, who took Phillips’ place, told the commission he is convinced that the facility’s operations are safe, and in a prepared statement said he is “committed to maintaining an open, honest and productive dialogue with the commission and the community.”

Maiorano pointed to several steps the Navy has taken, including increased staffing and monitoring.

Some Neighbors Support Facility

He also invited critics to tour the radar-test facility and pore over a draft of its standard procedures for operating various radar systems. Quaintance said he would take Maiorano up on the offer.

A small band of neighbors opposing the facility was matched at the hearing by nearly as many residents who support the Navy and its radar-test complex. “I’m absolutely convinced the facility is safe,” said Diane Markham, who lives nearby.