Senator Dole comes out against OLF!

PRESS RELEASE FROM SENATOR DOLE'S OFFICE:

Dole: Navy must withdraw recommendation for Washington County OLF

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole today sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy opposing the Navy’s proposal to build an outlying landing field in Washington County and calling on the service to withdraw its recommendation for an OLF at that site.

“I appreciate the extensive discussions that we and our staffs have had over the last several weeks regarding the Navy’s proposal for an outlying landing field in North Carolina,” Dole wrote to Navy Secretary Donald Winter. “As I have conveyed to you, the Navy’s proposal to build an OLF in Washington County is simply not feasible.

“In the best interests of both North Carolinians and the service, the Navy must withdraw its recommendation for an OLF in Washington County, and focus on operationally viable sites in North Carolina where environmental and other problems are very limited, and where residents are more receptive to such a facility and its potential for long-term economic development. I will oppose funding for an OLF in Washington County, as well as other potential sites that fail to meet these standards.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Navy – and facilitating a dialogue with state and local officials and my colleagues in the North Carolina congressional delegation – to find a solution as quickly and efficiently as possible that will both benefit residents of North Carolina and provide pilots with the training that they require and deserve.”