Several groups have issued an intent to sue the Navy over claims that an old aircraft carrier is polluting Puget Sound around the Bremerton base.
Through the American flag on Puget Soundkeeper's boat, it's easy to see what they've been staring at so closely for the last few weeks.
"This is the USS Independence. It's a decommissioned aircraft carrier," said Executive Director Chris Wilke.
The gigantic vessel has not been used in a couple decades. It's headed for a scrap yard. Like all boats, marine debris has built up on the bottom.
Environmentalists are concerned about the Navy's cleaning process. They believe waste is being scraped off the bottom of the boat without proper permits and in violation of the Clean Water Act.
When marine debris is scraped, the vessel's paint can leech into the water. That paint is typically toxic.
"These paints are designed to kill marine life. If they're released into the environment it can become a really severe problem," Wilke said.
Wilke and others claim there's so much waste entering the water, it could fill 73 dump trucks. Sinclair Inlet is already so polluted, it's a federally recognized superfund site.
The Suquamish Tribe believes the work violates their protected fishing rights.
"The Suquamish Tribe raised concerns about the potential impacts of this project during government-to-government consultation with the Navy," said Leonard Forsman, chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, in a recent written statement. “We did this in face-to-face meetings, by telephone and letter. Despite these efforts, the Navy moved forward as planned without adequately determining the impacts of the hull cleaning, including the release of toxic substances into Sinclair Inlet waters and adding to existing sediment pollution. Though we do respect the Navy's mission, we do not believe they should be exempt from regulations that other vessel owners routinely follow.”
A Navy spokesperson said they don't comment on pending litigation. The intent to sue allows 60-days for response, at which point the plaintiffs plan to file a lawsuit.
They want the boat hauled out of the water for the rest of the cleaning.
"Puget Sound is facing a lot of struggles right now,” Wilke said. “Some of them are extremely difficult to solve, like stormwater runoff. This is entirely preventable."
