AG to back fight against landing field

Officials told Third District Congressman Walter Jones that they plan to enforce legislation by which the state retains concurrent jurisdiction of lands seized for an outlying landing field, or OLF, in counties that don't have existing military bases. Sharing jurisdiction would allow those counties and the state to subject the Navy to a number of laws, including noise ordinances.

“Without full jurisdiction over property acquired for an OLF, it appears that the Navy would have difficulty in operating a military base,”  Chief Deputy Attorney General Grayson Kelley said in the letter. “The Attorney General’s Office will therefore continue to carefully monitor all legal issues related to the OLF siting process and be prepared to act as necessary to protect the economy and environment of eastern North Carolina.”

An amendment introduced by Jones and adopted by the U.S. House would prohibit the creation of an OLF at either the Hale’s Lake site in Camden County or the Sandbanks site in Gates County. Included within the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the provision will be debated in conference committee when Congress convenes from recess.