Gov. Mike Easley sent North Carolina's Congressional Delegation concerning the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement released by the U.S. Navy concerning the proposed outlying Landing Field (OLF) in eastern North Carolina.

"I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment with the Navy's decision to again identify Washington County as its preferred site for the proposed Outlying Landing Field (OLF) through its draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

"I have spent a great deal of time with the higher command of the Navy and top Pentagon officials, and with people here and in Washington discussing alternatives to the Washington County site. Our Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources has repeatedly talked with the Navy leadership in charge of this project, and our OLF Study Group has worked hard to identify viable alternatives. As the draft SEIS shows, the Navy remains unwilling to even fully consider reasonable alternatives.

"I believe this matter can be resolved, but spending millions of dollars to build the proposed OLF next to a world-renowned wildlife refuge for migratory birds is not an acceptable resolution. Congress controls the purse strings for this project, and Congress should withhold funding until the Navy is willing to consider reasonable alternatives."