FOLEY, Ala. — Baldwin County residents living near three Navy Outlying Landing Fields will have to wait until the fall to hear the result of the Environmental Assessment (EA) relating to expanding runways to accommodate the new T-6 flight trainer.

Naval Air Station Whiting Field had originally said the end of June was the anticipated release for the EA, but a press release on Thursday has extended that deadline until the fall of the year.

This week’s release cited the delay in the EA as resulting from the fact the “various alternatives” for runway expansion would exceed $1 million, and that requires review of land acquisition projects by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

“I think it’s kind of hard to predict what people will think or feel due to the delay,” said Jay Cope, deputy Public Affairs Officer at NAS Whiting Field, on Friday.

The NOLFs involved in the runway extension proposals are at Silverhill, Summerdale and Barin Field in Foley. In April, the Navy said NOLF Wolf Field in Josephine was no longer being considered for runway extension or expansion due to airspace limitations caused by the training field’s close proximity to NAS Pensacola and Pensacola Regional Airport.

In late January, the Navy held a “Public Scoping Meeting” concerning the proposed runway expansions. The meeting drew a couple of hundred people, who jammed into the Summerdale Community Center. Most of the crowd had complaints regarding the proposal that included everything from not being notified by the Navy that runway expansions were being considered, to property and wetlands issues and noise pollution caused by the trainers over houses and subdivisions.

Since the public comment phase regarding the EA ended, Cope called comments from the public regarding the runway expansions “ a few here and there.”

The Navy continues to post information regarding the runway extension matter at www.navyolfextensions.com.

Cope said an issue such as this going to the Under Secretary of Defense for consideration typically takes three to four months, so this fall is about as close as the Navy can get for a release date for the EA.