Test challenged
By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
After noise-testing ended Friday, Feb. 12 for the Explosives Ordinance Disposal School proposed at Fort A.P. Hill, Port Royal and Portobago Bay residents reported less noise than usual and no house-shaking crashes.
Some "thuds" however were heard. A total of 320 shots had been planned, with a total of 1,210 pounds of explosives detonated.
Noise monitors were set up at Port Royal, Portobago Bay, Edmont Bed and Breakfast, Pneumansend Jail and Essex County, in addition at the Fort during the eight-day monitoring period.
The volume of noise during the testing was "not an issue," said Bill Wick of Market Street in Port Royal. Past explosions, however, have damaged his and his wife Nancy's historic 1750 home.
"It was not as bad as it's been. Last week was quiet," said Cynthia Fields of Portobago Bay. She felt, however, the snow muffled the noise.
Another Portobago Bay resident, who asked not to be named, said the noise was "moderately loud." More importantly, she said, the Army should be testing for vibrations that cause house damage. Drywall cracks in her home from Navy explosions in February 2009 cost $3,000 to repair, and the Navy, after taking nearly a year to respond, offered a "compromise" of only $1,000. Other Portobago Bay residents have in the past reported damage to walls, foundations and windows.
Lt. Col. John Haefner, Fort A.P. Hill's commander, who visited the noise monitoring station in front of the Wicks' home Feb. 9, said the noise testing replicated the number and volume of explosions for EOD training if it's located at the post. By law, the Army could not expand that volume, he said, though some residents expressed fear of "mission creep."
Haefner said 25-pound explosions were fired four times a day to measure their noise under varying conditions. If the EOD School comes to the Fort, however, there would be just two 25-pound explosions a week during daylight hours, he said.
"Two a week I could live with, not speaking for anyone else," said Port Royal Town Councilman Jim Heimbach of "Riverview" on Water Street. He described their noise as a "thud." He noted however, "I don't understand why you would choose to do this so close to a populated area."
The site for the 25-pound explosions is Demolition Shot Location 70A located four miles southwest of Port Royal and five miles west of Portobago Bay. Steady winds head the Fort's list of "Bad Firing Conditions," with atmospheric conditions contributing. A south-to-north wind carries the Fort's noise to Port Royal, and west-to-east wind to Portobago Bay.
What's heard in one location isn't, in most cases, heard in another, though residents in both Port Royal and Portobago Bay reported a very noisy day at Fort A.P. Hill on Monday, Feb. 15, three days after the test. "It's been a rolling barrage," said Heimbach.
Haefner said detonations are routinely postponed, if possible, if noise conditions are bad.
Numerous quarter-pound and 1-and-one-quarter pound shots were also fired during the EOD noise testing at four locations two miles closer to Port Royal and Portobago Bay. Depending on wind and atmospheric conditions, these went largely unheard. Five-pound shots would not be fired at the proposed EOD School, Haefner said.
He said an average of two to three quarter-pound charges would be fired at night after 10 p.m. if the EOD School comes to Fort A.P. Hill. Heavier charges would not be fired at night.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Heimbach.
Although Lt.Col. Haefner said the testing replicates EOD School noise, the president of the Portobago Bay Homeowners Association challenged the basis of the test.
"The Army downsized the weight of explosives for the test while continuing to have the authority to use much larger explosives in the actual EOD field training," said John Lampmann on Tuesday. He also noted that snow deadened the noise.