NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. –
This week the Navy will award a design-build contract for a maintenance hangar and supporting facilities at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island’s Ault Field and authorize the contractor to begin the design of the project. Construction will not commence until the Navy approves the final design (anticipated no sooner than summer 2019).
Regarding the planned increased EA-18G Growler operations at NAS Whidbey Island, the Navy terminated consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) on Nov. 30 2018. The Navy did so only after extensive discussions with the Washington State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and other consulting parties failed to reach agreement on mitigation to offset indirect impacts of increased flight operations on the landscape of Ebey’s Reserve.
The Navy’s termination initiated a 45-day period during which the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is required to conduct a review of the NHPA consultation record, solicit comments from stakeholders and the public, and provide ACHP comments to the Navy on the proposed action.
The partial government shutdown resulted in the closure of the ACHP and interrupted the ACHP’s 45-day review, delaying completion of the NHPA process. In order to avoid impacts that would have an unacceptable effect on the Navy’s ability to accomplish the vital Electronic Attack mission worldwide, this week the Navy will award a design-build contract for a maintenance hangar and supporting facilities at NAS Whidbey Island’s Ault Field and authorize the contractor to begin the design of the project.
Construction will not commence until the Navy approves the final design (anticipated no sooner than summer 2019). In the event the contractor’s design work is completed before the Navy completes NHPA consultation and issues a Record of Decision, the Navy has the authority under the terms of the contract to suspend work or terminate the contract.