NOAA's Newport move causes concern

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and other members of Washington state’s congressional delegation say they’re “troubled” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s plan to move its marine operations center-Pacific operations on Seattle’s Lake Union — and its 175 jobs — to Newport, Ore.

A letter sent to Gary Locke, Department of Commerce Secretary (and former governor of Washington), was signed by Cantwell and the state’s other Democratic senator, Patty Murray, as well as six of the state’s nine U.S. Representatives. The eight ask Locke why NOAA was allowed to select the Newport site, which is located in a floodplain development, without conducting environmental assessments of the site that they say are required.

“In our view, these are very important procedural steps designed to provide public input, to ensure a robust environmental review and prevent a legal challenge to the decision … In light of these important issues we expect that NOAA will instruct Newport to stop spending public funds until the Government Accountability Office-recommended process is completed,” the eight wrote.

The center provides management of 10 NOAA vessels and serves as the home port for NOAA ships including the Rainier, Miller Freeman and McArthur II. The center also provides field support to NOAA ships Ka’Imimoana, Hi’Ialakai and Oscar Elton Sette out of Honolulu; David Star Jordan out of San Diego; Fairweather out of Ketchikan, Alaska, and Oscar Dyson out of Kodiak, Alaska.

Congressional representatives signing the letter included Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island; Rick Larsen, D-Everett; Brian Baird, D-Vancouver; Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton; Jim McDermott, D-Seattle; and Dave Reichert, R-Mercer Island.

Last month, Oregon’s congressional delegation sent a tersely worded letter to Locke reiterating its support to relocate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Operations Center to Newport from Bellingham, Wash.

“This is one of the largest federal infrastructure investments in the state of Oregon in decades, and one which we are firmly committed to assure,” said the letter, signed by Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Kurt Schrader, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and David Wu, all Democrats.