The Navy’s Boing EA-18G Growlers: The loudest planes in the world and they’re flown over protected, environmentally sensitive, and irreplaceable areas across the greater region of Northwest Washington. These jets have astounding impacts on human health, the environment, and so much more. In this introduction episode, we will ease you into the Growler jet noise issue and how the Sound Defense Alliance is working to address it. Hosts Terra Huey (she/her) and Caitlin Epstein (she/her) are joined by guests Anne Harvey (she/her) and Mark Lundsten (he/him), residents of Coupeville and Anacortes, WA, who are involved with the Sound Defense Alliance. Listen to learn more about what it’s like to live under these jets, and what you can expect from this limited podcast series.

Resources:

Learn more about the Growler jets and how to take action at: www.SoundDefenseAlliance.org

Coupeville Community Allies

Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER)

Quiet Skies Over San Juan County

A Map of Whidbey and Camano Islands

Glossary Terms:

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - A government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment. In the United States, these statements are mandated by federal law for certain projects.

Record of Decision (ROD) - Final action prior to implementation of the Proposed Action. Any outstanding issues, including protests, are resolved. After this stage, protestors may sue the agency in federal court.

Growler jet - The EA-18G Growler: an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers in service with the United States Navy.

Ault Field - The main base portion of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI).

Outlying Field (OLF) - A military airport owned and operated by the United States Navy located two miles southeast of Coupeville, Washington, on Whidbey Island. Also known as Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville or NOLF Coupeville.

Nature sounds recorded in the Olympic National Park (Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker, Co-Founder Quiet Parks International)

Hosted by Terra Huey and Caitlin Epstein

Produced by Caitlin Epstein in partnership with the Sound Defense Alliance

It’s difficult to take on the United States Navy, but if anyone’s up for it it’s Paula Spina and the Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER). In this episode, retired attorney Paula Spina (she/her) breaks down the legal action being taken against the Navy regarding the impacts of the Growler jets across Northwest Washington, including the State of Washington and COER’s National Environmental Policy Act lawsuit against the Navy over the Growler jet program at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Listen to hear how litigation can be a powerful tool for fights like this, and how this lawsuit may pave the way for meaningful change for local residents.

Resources:

Learn more about the Growler jets and how to take action at: www.SoundDefenseAlliance.org

Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER)

Coupeville Community Allies

National Parks Conservation Association

Whidbey Environmental Action Network

Bricklin & Newman, LLP

Glossary Terms:

Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) - Repetitive "touch and go" landings at airfields, which simulate landing on an aircraft carrier.

EA-6B Prowler - A twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy.

EA-18G Growler - An American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6b Prowlers in service with the United States Navy.

National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) - An act signed into law on January 1, 1970 that requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - A government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment. In the United States, these statements are mandated by federal law for certain projects.

Environmental Assessment - A “brief but thorough” process done to determine whether or not an action is a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

Record of Decision (ROD) - Final action prior to implementation of the Proposed Action. Any outstanding issues, including protests, are resolved. After this stage, protestors may sue the agency in federal court.

Outlying Field (OLF) - A military airport owned and operated by the United States Navy located two miles southeast of Coupeville, Washington, on Whidbey Island. Also known as Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville or NOLF Coupeville.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - A federal freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government upon request.

Nature sounds recorded in the Olympic National Park (Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker, Co-Founder Quiet Parks International)

Hosted by Terra Huey and Caitlin Epstein

Produced by Caitlin Epstein in partnership with the Sound Defense Alliance

It’s hard to put the experience of Growler jet noise into words. It’s just that loud. Often heard on the ground at sounds reaching between 70 and 120 decibels, Growler jet noise has a significant impact on hearing health. In this episode, audiologist Marianne Brabanski (she/her) and Associate Professor of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Dr. Edmund Seto (he/him) explain the technical aspects of our hearing and how loud noises like that from the Growlers can cause permanent damage. Listen to gain a true understanding of the unbelievable noise from the Growlers and its widespread impact on hearing in local residents from children to the elderly.

***Trigger warning: This episode contains a clip of Growler jet noise that may be disturbing to people with PTSD or who are sensitive to loud noises. The clip plays from 16:11:00 to 16:25:00***

Resources:

Learn more about the Growler jets and how to take action at: www.SoundDefenseAlliance.org

Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER)

Glossary Terms:

Decibel (dB) - A unit used to measure the intensity of a sound by comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale.

Logarithmic scale - A way of displaying numerical data over a very wide range of values in a compact way—typically the largest numbers in the data are hundreds or even thousands of times larger than the smallest numbers. Such a scale is nonlinear: the numbers 10 and 20, and 60 and 70, are not the same distance apart on a log scale. Rather, the numbers 10 and 100, and 60 and 600 are equally spaced. Thus moving a unit of distance along the scale means the number has been multiplied by 10 (or some other fixed factor).

Dose-response - The relationship between the intensity of an exposure, e.g., to an infectious pathogen, physical stressor, or a toxin, and its effect on living organisms.

Nature sounds recorded in the Olympic National Park (Gordon Hempton, The Sound Tracker, Co-Founder Quiet Parks International)

Hosted by Terra Huey and Caitlin Epstein

Produced by Caitlin Epstein in partnership with the Sound Defense Alliance