— by Lin McNulty —
We all know where the noise comes from; the objective is to make sure the Navy knows where it ends up. If you look at the map above, Lopez, in particular is being inundated with Growler noise from Whidbey Naval Air Station, registering decibel levels of 70-80 dbA.
It rumbles, it roars, it vibrates, and shakes nerves and windows across the San Juan Islands.
Cynthia Dilling, of Quiet Skies Group on Lopez Island, stresses, “One of the strongest things we can do right now is to use the County jet noise site.”
If you’re hearing the noise where you are, click on the map above to log onto the COUNTY NOISE SITE and register your complaint. It’s really easy to do. Bookmark it and use it whenever you hear the roar. Yes, one of those red circles is mine, but I intend to be more diligent in logging my experiences with this noise.
San Juan County is providing this site to reflect the areas that are being affected. “IF WE DON’T USE IT THE COUNTY AND THE NAVY WILL ASSUME WE HAVE NO NOISE,” emphasizes Dilling. It is an experiment but will only be up and running until the end of 2014.
The goal is mitigation of the noise as the county will be sharing the data with the Navy. But, we have to use it to make it work. Tell your neighbors. Use it every time you hear the roar. You can also keep a log and enter your noise events once a day by using the comment section.
“The Sound of Freedom” should only include birdsongs and breezes.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
