Oregon Lawmakers Urge Coast Guard to Delay Newport Air Facility Closure
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Coast Guard helicopter, photo credit: iStock
The Coast Guard with little notice announced this month that it plans to close the Newport Air Facility by Dec. 1.
The lawmakers noted that commercial fisherman, steep terrain loggers, and recreationalists working in the waters and cliffs along the coast all depend on the nearby Coast Guard helicopter for safety purposes, according to Senator Wyden's office.
“The lack of notice has harmed the ability of local emergency response services to prepare plans that do not rely on the USCG helicopter’s presence in Newport. First-responders need the opportunity to evaluate what they will need to do to protect the public and what risk their operations run with the USCG helicopters stationed further away,” Oregon lawmakers wrote in a letter to Admiral Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard.
The lawmakers asked for a six-month delay but said that they believe the Coast Guard should permanently reverse its decision.
“Our goal remains keeping a USCG helicopter in Newport permanently, and we hope that a delay will provide us an opportunity to continue working with the USCG to make that a reality," lawmakers wrote.
In a GoLocal editorial on Wednesday, Scott Bruun explained how the closure of this facility could put Oregon fishermen at serious risk.
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