Camden

Report: Hale’s Lake Site Unsuitable for OLF

Significant safety, economic and environmental issues are top concerns for the potential Outlying Landing Field (OLF) site Hale’s Lake, Camden County according to a new, 34-page Environmental Impact Study.

The report is the result of more than three months of research by Cary environmental consulting firm Withers & Ravenel to examine soil make-up, condition, drainage, impacts on local wildlife and any other issues that would be raised by building an OLF in the area.

“This report confirms an OLF in Hale’s Lake would pose serious risk to our citizen’s safety and endanger our economic and environmental well-being,” commented Camden County Manager Randell Woodruff. “In addition, the added costs of building in such a remote area make it hard for anyone to see the logic of choosing Hale’s Lake instead of alternate locations.”

Among other things, the report raised alarms about the depth and prevalence of unstable and highly-flammable peat in the area. Once ignited, peat can burn almost indefinitely, releasing high levels of carbon dioxide into the air for months or years at a time. Last summer’s peat-fueled fires at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge took more than a month to extinguish, at a cost of $5.4 million.

In addition to costs to the community to extinguish a potential fire, the report found the Hale’s Lake site may cost the Navy substantially more to build than other sites. Peat soil excavation and replacement costs could add $10 million - $14 million to the overall construction tab. It will also be necessary to build a new network of roads for construction crews to even access the area.

The proposed OLF in Camden County would serve the Master Jet Base at Oceana Naval Air Station located approximately 30 miles over the state line in Virginia Beach, VA. The Master Jet Base contains four runways that are currently not being used at their full capacity.

As proposed, the OLF could condemn thousands of acres and place agricultural restrictions on thousands more, removing the land from the county tax base.
Earlier this year, the Camden and Currituck county boards publicly announced their opposition to the proposed airfield. In recent months, several other local governments in the region have also announced opposition to the OLF.

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© 2008 NE NC News.