Live Fire Training exercises on Great Lakes

[LKunze]

Oberstar says Coast Guard suspends live fire on Lake Superior
Associated Press

Last update: September 15, 2006 – 12:12 PM

Oberstar says Coast Guard suspends live fire on Lake Superior

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended live-fire exercises on Lake Superior during the rest of a public comment period that runs into November, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar said.

Oberstar, D-Minn., said he received that assurance in a meeting late Thursday afternoon with Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard.

In Milwaukee, meanwhile, a planned live-fire training session on Lake Michigan for the Coast Guard unit based in the city was postponed Thursday by 9th District Rear Admiral John Crowley, who said he wants to have more discussion with Great Lakes communities on the training proposal.

At a hearing Thursday morning, Oberstar questioned a Coast Guard witness about live-fire machine gun exercises two vessels conducted Tuesday about eight miles offshore from Two Harbors. He suggested it was inconsistent for the Coast Guard to solicit public comment while continuing to conduct live-fire exercises.

Oberstar said Allen heard his comments and later told him "that the Coast Guard should have handled this situation differently.

"He expressed to me that the public had not been properly notified and the mission was not made clear to area residents," the congressman said.

The Coast Guard is now committed to providing public notice before any future live-fire exercises so that boaters will know to avoid the area, Oberstar said. Allen told him the Duluth-area news media will be notified before live-fire exercises resume.

Tuesday's exercises had drawn an angry response from Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson, who said he had been led to believe there would be none during the Coast Guard's public comment period on the issue, which runs through Nov. 13.

The Coast Guard has proposed establishing 34 permanent live-fire training zones across the Great Lakes, including three in Superior. The zones would be closed to the public only during the drills. Currently, temporary zones are created for each drill.