Defense bill lacks OLF-limiting provisions

Defense bill heads to Obama’s desk

A final defense spending bill likely to be signed by President Obama won’t contain provisions blocking a Navy landing field from area counties or requiring host counties to sign off on the airfield.

The U.S. Senate gave final approval Thursday to a National Defense Authorization Act that doesn’t include amendments by two local members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va.

Jones’ amendment to the defense bill prohibited the creation of an outlying landing field in either Camden or Gates counties. Forbes’ amendment would have required counties picked by the Navy to host the OLF to have the final say on whether to accept the project.

The Senate’s decision wasn’t exactly a surprise. Both amendments had been included in the adopted House version of the defense bill, but were opposed by the Senate Appropriations Committee when it took up the legislation.

Both amendments eventually were stripped from the bill during conference discussions on the legislation between the House and Senate.

Camden County Attorney John Morrison expressed disappointment at Congress’ decision, but said Camden County officials, who oppose the Navy OLF in northeastern North Carolina, still have several aces up their sleeve.

“We were aware this was almost surely going to happen,” he said. “We’re disappointed Congress didn’t adopt either Jones’ or Forbes’ amendments, but we feel we’re still in a very strong position. (Camden County) has passed legislation pursuant to the Constitution of the United States and the state will not yield jurisdiction to the Navy.”

Morrison was referring to state legislation approved this summer that requires the Navy to share with the state jurisdiction over any property it buys in North Carolina for an OLF. Most observers believe the law, while it won’t ban the OLF from North Carolina, will make it difficult for the Navy to operate one here.

“The Attorney General for North Carolina has reviewed the law the General Assembly passed and (believes it) would make it very difficult for the Navy to bring in a base,” Morrison said.

The Navy was scheduled to release an environmental impact statement this fall about its proposed OLF. Last month, however, Navy officials said the EIS now won’t be ready until early next year. The Navy is looking at the feasibility of five sites — two in northeastern North Carolina — and two in southeastern Virginia — for the OLF.

Morrison said that although the Navy has a lot of power, Camden County still has the ability to make an OLF in northeastern North Carolina an unappealing prospect.

“North Carolina’s entire congressional delegation, the Attorney General and the Corps of Engineers will make it very difficult for the Navy to come here,” he said. “They will see it won’t be possible to do this without jamming it down everybody’s throat and there would be litigation at the highest levels. It appears we would have the resources of the Attorney General and the Constitution on our side.”

In a statement, Jones said he, Congressman G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., and U.S. Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Kay Hagan, D-N.C., plan to continue fighting a Navy OLF in northeastern North Carolina.