The federal government has reworked plans for a training facility in Ruthsburg. The new plans were presented at a public forum at Queen Anne’s County High School Tuesday night.
According to the revised site plan, one explosive range has been eliminated and another moved to a more interior location to help reduce noise. A vegetated buffer and an earthen berm have also been added to help with noise pollution as well as putting the range in a 5-foot-deep-hole. The main campus has been moved further away from Ruthsburg and the facility’s main entrance has been moved from Route 481 to Route 304 to help reduce traffic.
The set up of the shooting range was also clarified. The range would actually be located in a fully baffled concrete and steel building, meaning rounds cannot escape. Only paintball guns and air rifles would be used outdoors.
As for the noise level from explosives, Adam Bodner, director of the Office of Real Property Management at the State Department, clarified what community members could expect. The 3-pound explosives would measure between 69-70 decibels, the same level as an alarm clock or a vacuum cleaner. The half-pound explosives would put out 50 to 60 decibels, the same as a normal conversation. Community members were promised advanced notice of detonating.
Chris DiZebba, deputy project manager for the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, said there would be no helicopter or aircraft training at the site, no heavy artillery or weapons, and no chemical or biological weapons.
The $70 million Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) located on the Hunter Ray and Crismer farm properties would be used for law enforcement and security training. State Department officials estimate the facility could provide more than 400 jobs.
The next public forum is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Queen Anne’s County High School. The deadline for public comments is March 12.
Warrior Bob Kramer says
The Feds: Only paintball guns and air rifles would be used outdoors.
Beginning to sound like a glorified Police Academy… and you’ve got to ask yourself… What do they need 2,000 acres for?
Steve Meehan says
Warrior Bob:
Good question. Meaning a 90 percent Open space objective, distance from neighbors, but based on calls from Washington this week: President Obama and his Green Initiative. Don’t underestimate the significance of removing 2,000 acres of row crop farming from the watershed. Replacing it with 1800 of native grasses is one step further to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Even high level state officials being squeezed by the alleged green opposition have realized this and are turning off the phones. This is one of the great “Achilles heel” situations for the opposition, particular the “neo-environmentalists” who really aesthetes as opposed to “green change” advocates.
This is a good opportunity to study the transformation. As the chicken industry makes its exit from the Eastern Shore, corn and soy prices will be affected. Farmers will need a solution. This will be a start to studying grasses and other crops that have minimal inputs and a good source for bio-fuel materials. In the end, the best way to preserve farm land in an environmentally sound way is to make it profitable for farmers and landowers to do so.
While helping to improve the safety of Americans working abroad, FASTC will do its part to save the Bay.
Warrior Bob Kramer says
Steve says: In the end, the best way to preserve farm land in an environmentally sound way is to make it profitable for farmers and landowers to do so.
Interesting perspective to discuss. I’ll leave the ‘Greater Good’ economic benefits and the necessity of why the State Dept actually needs a stand alone Police Academy discussions for another thread.
I agree that this is the magic Q as to how the Eastern Shore balances our ag economy to an ecologically friendly economy. I think in the County of Kent we have at least two sustainable farm operations… St. Brigid’s and the Crow farm… both patterned after the Pollyface farm in Virginia as cited by Michael Pollan in his book Omnivore’s Dilemma. There may be more in CofK and QAC that I’m not aware of.
Now I don’t agree that purely in the context of this discussion that a 200 acre Police Academy even with 1800 acres in natural mitigation is better than a sustainable farm. Because if I beleived that, then I’d have to accept that 200 homes (even with nitrogen removal septics) on 200 acres with 1800 fallow acres is a better use of our farmland.
Then there’s the cynic in me that says… “Do I trust the Feds to keep this open space open?” It’s the same Q that I would be asking if it were 200 homes.
And if this was so great for the Bay, where are all the folks like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation et al? Shouldn’t they have their opinions made public?
So… is it farmland v. mitigated development? Is that the future of the Eastern Shore?
Jay Falstad says
Sure, except President Obama’s executive order from last March says there should be no net loss of farmland in the Bay watershed. If 2000 acres is removed at one time, that would represent the greatest one-shot loss of farmland in Queen Anne’s County history.
Dan Worth says
Boy, I can’t wait to read the transcript from that meeting. In response to some questions Kratovil had on February 5th forwarded to some residents on Ruthsburg by Ben Abrams on Feb 12th. The GSA and DoS had this to say:
“6. How loud will the bombs, shooting range, and other loud activities are for the people living around the facility and from Tuckahoe State Park? What is a comparison? How much louder will these be relevant to the existing land use? Exactly what size bombs, guns, etc. will be tested? What will be the schedule for these activities?
Our preliminary estimates of the noise levels that the 3 lb charge will be in the range of 120 decibels (dBA) at the nearest property line. This is similar to being nearby a shotgun as it fires and is an impulsive sound. These events will occur 6 times per year. The 0.5 lb charge is estimated at 105 dBA at the nearest property line. This is similar in noise level to an air powered nail gun at 5 feet, a short burst of sound, and will occur 493 times per year. This is also similar to a cut off saw, chainsaw at 5 feet, jackhammer and many shop tools. These are impulsive sounds, rather than constant sounds, so this will be distinctly different from the majority of the existing farming, agriculture and traffic noises that exist in the community. ….”
I don’t know about you, but I’d be wearing ear plugs if that was going on.
John Murray says
This seems like a reasonable proposal–one which will provide good employment opportunities for the area and, as noted in earlier comments, will assist in the clean up of the watershed.
Gren Whitman says
How does a State Department straight-shooting and fast-driving academy morph into what it’s most assuredly not, a major green project to save Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore farming?
The best way to “improve the safety of Americans working abroad” — including thousands of U.S. soldiers and marines ordered to invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan — is to bring as many home as possible, ASAP.
FASTC reminds me of that fable about the blind men trying to describe an elephant: Everyone’s interpreting it the way they want.
Me too! Yippee!