Submitted by Terra Huey, Sound Defense Alliance.

Late-night/early-morning Navy EA-18G “Growler” training flights are disturbing more than just sleep. “The recent, low-level flight training activity continuing past 1:30 AM is exactly what our communities have asked the Navy to mitigate,” stated Terra Huey, program director for the Sound Defense Alliance. Huey continued, “We have received numerous complaints and have long requested that the Navy respond to the region by moving some training squadrons elsewhere, or reducing training operations numbers and not training into early morning hours while families are sleeping. The Navy makes compromises with host countries where their training occurs. Why can’t the Navy make reasonable changes to alleviate the suffering of their American civilians from the ongoing impacts of military jet noise? A University of Washington Health Study reports that over 74,000 people are currently being impacted.”

Deborah Wright, a longtime central Whidbey resident, shared her experience with SDA. She pinpoints recent overnight flight patterns that impacted her sleep and health. “The jets have been relentless this month. On the night of July 14th into the 15th, the noise and vibration were so intense they rattled my windows and shook through my body. The sound was physically disturbing and woke me from a deep sleep. This continued for hours and repeated for two more nights, disrupting my sleep and affecting my health and well-being. Nighttime Growler flights have a profound and unacceptable impact on residents. This level of disruption is not sustainable. Military reservations exist specifically for training, and these jets have options for operating in areas that do not harm the communities they are sworn to protect. Not all of the Navy’s Growler jets need to be stationed here—there are alternatives.”

A recent article in the Washington Post (July 14) describes how “loud noise can physically damage the inner ear (cochlea) and overstimulate the sensory cells, which, if sustained over time, can damage or even kill these cells, leading to temporary or permanent hearing loss. Short bursts of extra-loud noise can also cause impairments. Humans and other mammals are unable to replace these hair cells once they are damaged or lost.” Hearing loss is currently the leading cause of disability in the United States. Noise also has non-auditory impacts, including sleep disturbances, increases in hypertension and cardiovascular issues, as well as cognitive impairment, especially among children.

Huey concluded, “We encourage people to respond to Growler noise impacts by adding online pins to the Quiet Skies Over San Juan County Noise Map (SoundDefenseAlliance.org/report-jet-noise, open to all areas; not limited to San Juan County), and contacting local elected officials, including Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office.

Visit SoundDefenseAlliance.org/call-your-reps for elected officials’ contact information and tips on calling/writing.

Visit SoundDefenseAlliance.org/stories-across-the-region to read recent Growler jet noise experiences from community members.

For more information about SDA, visit SoundDefenseAlliance.org/.