BELLINGHAM — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believes it can answer the questions raised by a federal watchdog agency and won’t have to change its plans to move the West Coast base for its ships to Newport, Ore., a NOAA spokesman says.
On Wednesday, the Government Accountability Office said it was upholding an appeal by the Port of Bellingham, which also bid for the fleet.
The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, said the ruling does not overturn NOAA’s decision to move its Pacific Marine Operations Center from Seattle to Newport in 2011. But it said NOAA should take another look at its decision because the Newport site is within the 100-year flood plain at the mouth of the Yaquina River, which puts it at odds with NOAA’s own requirements.
The GAO said NOAA should examine whether a practical alternative to Newport exists among the bidders for the 20-year lease. In addition to Newport and Bellingham, Port Angeles and Seattle sought the base.
“NOAA is currently reviewing the decision in detail, but I can tell you that we will take the steps necessary to address GAO’s concerns,” NOAA spokesman David Hall said Thursday in an e-mail to The Bellingham Herald. “It is important to note that the GAO decision does not overturn the contract award to Newport. At this time, there are no plans to suspend work at the Newport facility.”
Don Mann, the Port of Newport’s general manager, said the port has already hired engineers and contractors and expects to start demolition work at the site in January.
“We’re continuing to move ahead on the project,” Mann said. “Nobody’s told us to slow down.”
NOAA plans to base four research ships and up to two visiting ships at Newport. The ships have been based in Seattle for 45 years, but the agency in August awarded the lease to Newport.
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