An environmental assessment found the Navy's plan to increase the number of helicopters stationed at the Coronado Navy base would not have a significant impact on noise levels or the environment, the Navy announced Friday.
The plan, called the Helicopter Wings Realignment and MH-60R/S Helicopter Transition, would increase Naval Air Station North Island's helicopter fleet from 151 to 203 and increase helicopter operations by up to 30 percent when the realignment is complete in 2016.
These increases would add about 35 daily helicopter flights at NASNI and about 19 daily helicopter flights at the Naval Outlying Landing Field in Imperial Beach, and would boost the number of personnel at NASNI by 800. The realignment also involves replacing older model H-60 helicopters with the new MH-60 R/S model and constructing a new hangar and supporting facilities.
The Navy released its Draft Environmental Assessment for the plan at the end of February, and received public comments on it until the end of April.
Teresa Bresler, a project manager at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, said the Navy received 70 comment letters from residents about the proposed plan and “heard overwhelmingly that residents in Imperial Beach have concerns about the amount of noise in air operations there.”
But, she said, most of the noise problems were actually caused by a temporary shift of all helicopter activity to a Navy runway closer to residential areas.
The Navy shifted its helicopter activity to a southern runway farther from residential areas in July. Imperial Beach officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether the noise had since decreased.
After reviewing public comments, the Navy announced on Friday the plan had a "Finding of No Significant Impact," or FONSI. It said direct, indirect and cumulative environmental impacts from the plan would range from "no impacts" to "minor impacts," with no significant impacts to the environment expected.
The environmental assessment also found the proposed plan would not result in significant noise impacts.
While it would slightly expand a baseline of noise collected in 2010 at the Imperial Beach NOLF, this noise would not extend to populated areas, according to the Navy. NASNI and NOLF have policies and specific course rules to minimize aircraft noise.
Because the FONSI means the Navy's helicopter transition plan would not impact the environment, the Navy has decided preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required.
A copy of the environmental statement, including the FONSI, can be downloaded at www.navyregionsouthwest.com/go/doc/4275/1174759. They are also available at the Coronado Public Library on 640 Orange Ave., the San Diego Country Library's Imperial Beach Branch on 810 Imperial Beach Blvd. and the San Diego Public Library on 820 E St.
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