Before September 2015, the Navy hopes to place three trucks with electromagnetic radiation emitting equipment in the West to execute war exercises with military aircraft in 15 different locations. 12 of these locations are in the Olympic National Forest and the other three are on land belonging to the Department of Natural Resources.
Areas the trucks would work in would be barricaded and warning signs put up to warn citizens to stay clear of the area for their own protection. If campers or hunters are spotted while the operation is underway, they would be first asked to relocate, and if they don’t, the trucks will move to a different location to complete the exercises. Also, if large animals wander into the area the trucks will relocate as well.
John Mosher, northwest environmental program manager for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is concerned about the health hazards stated in the assessment of the project.
“The emitters systems, operated by two crew members inside each vehicle, would provide the Navy with the ability to simulate modern [electronic warfare] threats in an open-air environment to effectively and efficiently train the operators of these systems,” according to the assessment.
“Human tissue is directly susceptible to shock or burns when metallic objects, which have absorbed high electromagnetic radiation, are touched. This type of burn would be similar to the type of burn produced inside a microwave oven. There are no conclusive direct hazards to human tissue as a result of electromagnetic radiation. Links to DNA fragmentation, leukemia, and cancer due to intermittent exposure to extremely high levels of electromagnetic radiation are speculative; study data are inconsistent and insufficient at this time,” according to the assessment.
However, Dean Millett, district ranger for the Forest Service Pacific District, is not concerned about the emission of radiation from the exercises.
“I think we are bombarded all the time and exposed to electromagnetic radiation from radio satellites, cell phones, TV signals — we get it from outer space from dying stars. This is just one more small dose,” Millet said. He also noted that the Forest Service roads where most of these trucks will be conducting these exercises are very remote and do not get much traffic.
Millet signed off on the Forest Service permit and the draft of the assessment of the project.
