Rocket tests at JBLM continue despite tribe’s protest

Rocket testing from JBLM

Rocket tests at Joint Base Lewis-McChord continue Thursday despite Nisqually tribal members hand-delivering a letter to the White House complaining about the noise.

Tribal council member Willie Frank IIItold KIRO 7 they put up with a lot from the base, but this is going too far.

“It was definitely loud,” Frank said. “You could definitely hear it. I’m sure it shook the windows of houses there.”

They’re not alone.

Neighbors are also complaining that the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems are too loud and are disturbing wildlife. But the Army says that’s exactly what they’re testing for — noise pollution.

The Army is in its third day of conducting tests of the HIMARS from to measure noise levels of the rockets as they fly over the base. The maximum accepted level is 130 decibels – not quite as loud as a Seahawks crowd at Century Link field, according to KIRO 7.

“We’ve got professionals here from the public health center of the Army and they’ve got noise monitors out, so we’re collecting noise data,” JBLM public affairs officer Joseph Piek told KIRO 7.

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