Dole: Residents must support OLF site
Friday, September 28th, 2007
By Chris Fitzsimon
From staff reports U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has cautioned Navy officials that the site they choose for a landing field must have the approval of the local community.
In a letter to the Navy, Dole "expressed her dismay" that the Navy has not consulted the communities near the six recently chosen alternative sites for a practice airfield, according to a news release from her office.
The airfield would allow pilots to practice landing planes but would not be home to a Naval base. Plans to site it in Washington and Beaufort counties stalled due to opposition from local residents and environmentalists over the noise and potential harm to migratory birds.
Dole said she was "hopeful that the Navy had learned from past mistakes" after the first setback, but has since heard from local residents opposed to the alternative sites.
"I cannot stress enough that broad local support for an [outlying landing field] is essential, and I will oppose the Navy’s efforts to acquire any site in North Carolina that fails to meet this standard," Dole, a Salisbury Republican, said in the release.
Dole hinted that the Navy may need to include more than just the landing field in its plans to appease nearby communities. The landing fields have virtually no economic benefit, while a Naval base brings jobs and a boost for local businesses. (more…)
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