Politics & Government

Navy Is Big Spender in Seal Beach

The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station contributes roughly $136 million to the local economy, according to a report commissioned by the base.

Those crew-cut hoards, who can be seen trekking along Pacific Coast Highway in Seal Beach almost any day of the week, help contribute roughly $2 million a year to local businesses, according to a report out this week.

The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station recently completed an economic impact and community involvement study that attempts to quantify the contributions if the base in terms of jobs, tax revenue, and economic boons.

"The study indicates that the installation contributes over $136 million to the area's economy and supports over 2,000 jobs," said Capt. Terry Auberry, base commanding officer.

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Though the potential for base closures loom in 2013 and 2015 because of defense spending cuts, the study is not part of an effort to rally community support to keep the base, said Gregg Smith, spokesman for the weapons station. The base has never been a target during previous rounds of closures, and the economic impact study has been in the works for years, Smith said.

“It’s important for us to know how we impact the community and for the community to know what effect the base has,” said Smith.

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Based on the latest data from 2010, the study details annual economic benefits to the community including over $91 million in industrial output, $38 million in direct payroll expenditures, and nearly $6 million in local and state tax revenues.

"The community benefits of the base go beyond monetary support," said Auberry. "The base has protected one of the last vestiges of coastal open space in the region, some of which has since been turned into the only national wildlife refuge within a five-county area."

According to a written statement by base officials, "Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach also supports civilian law enforcement training, from local police departments to federal agencies such as the FBI. The base fire department, under a mutual aid agreement with Orange County, routinely responds to civilian emergencies off the installation.  The facility was recently designated as winner of the 2012 Navy Installation Excellence Award for Small Installations, giving it bragging rights as the best small base in the U.S. Navy."

"I'm proud of the outstanding relationships we have with the surrounding community," said Auberry. "The weapons station has been a source of lasting community partnerships and positive economic influence since World War Two."


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