Murkowski’s HAARP Fight Keeps Wrecking Ball Away for a Year
Air Force Secretary Tells Senator That Facility Will Be Maintained Until May 2015
Senator Lisa Murkowski today received official word from the Secretary of the Air Force that the Pentagon is delaying its plans to demolish the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility site in Gakona – or ‘HAARP’ –for another year so that a possible transfer to a university or scientific institution can be explored. This news comes as a result of Murkowski’s recent attempts to communicate the important work done by the facility among Pentagon brass, including sharing the favorable views of the international research community towards HAARP.
(HAARP Facility)
In a Senate hearing on May 14, Senator Murkowski questioned why the Pentagon was planning to demolish HAARP this summer in order to cut costs, asking whether it was fiscally sound to destroy an approximately $300 million facility when it costs less than one percent of that amount to operate it each year. When she questioned the witnesses, she asked why they couldn’t consider handing off control and operational costs to the University of Alaska or another research institute and keep the world-class facility open and running.
(Murkowski questions Pentagon researcher about destroying HAARP – Click to view)
In response to Senator Murkowski’s reasoning, the Secretary of the Air Force sent a letter (attached) today, reading:
“Your letter indicates the University of Alaska or a consortium of academic or research institutions are interested in taking ownership of the facility in the near future. In response, the Air Force is willing to slow the closure process and defer irreversible dismantling of the transmitter site until May 2015...The Air Force will continue to maintain an open dialogue with the University of Alaska or a consortium of interested scientific research institutions should they wish to develop and assess alternative plans in a timely manner.”
