Speak out at a Hearing on the Coast Guard’s Proposed Live Fire Zones
The US Coast Guard is proposing the establishment of 34 live fire safety zones throughout the Great Lakes, covering a combined total of 2,376 square miles or 2.5% of the Lakes surface area. The safety zones will be used to train Coast Guard personnel in maritime law enforcement, national defense and homeland security using live 7.62mm NATO rounds fired from lightweight automatic weapons. Public hearings across the basin are rapidly approaching, and a comment period is open until November 13, 2006.
At each location below, the Coast Guard is hosting an open house from 4 pm to 5:30 pm (local time) to answer questions and provide background information. The Public meeting with opportunities for public comment will be held from 5:30 pm to 8 pm (local time).
October 16 - Duluth Convention Center, 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN
October 18 - Grand Haven Waterfront Holiday Inn, 940 West Savidge, Spring Lake MI
October 19 - Crystal Gardens, 1200 Gratiot Boulevard, Marysville MI
October 23 - Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building, 31st floor auditorium, 1240 E. 9th Street, Cleveland, OH
October 30 - Rochester Fast Ferry Terminal, 1000 N. River Street, Rochester, NY
November 1 - Lake County Conference and Banquet Center, 248 Ambrogio Drive, Gurnee, IL
November 3 - Charlevoix Public Library, 220 W. Clinton Street, Charlevoix, MI
November 6 - Erie, PA - Cruise Ship Terminal
November 8 - Sturgeon Bay, WI - exact location to be determined
Check out the Coast Guard’s website: www.uscgd9safetyzones.com/go/site/1295/ for much more information, including all copies of Federal Registry entries and how to submit comments, an open letter from Commander Crowley from the 9th District, charts and maps of the proposed zones, etc. A Great Lakes United article can be found at:
http://www.glu.org/english/newsletters/between_editions.htm#crossfire>
Please comment to this precedent-setting proposal. Send in your comments by November 13, 2006 by:
· E-mail through the Docket Management System website: http://dms.dot.gov>. Docket number 25767.
· Fax to the Docket Management Facility at (202) 493-2251.
· Mail to the Docket Management Facility (USCG-2006-2567), U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 SW, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001.
· Please also send a copy of your letter to your federal, state, and local politicians.
