Six more West Virginia counties raise concerns over limitations of National Radio Quiet Zone

More counties are expressing concerns about the National Radio Quiet Zone surrounding the Green Bank Radio Observatory and the Sugar Grove Research Station.

The National Radio Quiet Zone is a 13,000 square mile area where radio transmissions are restricted to encourage scientific research and national intelligence gathering. About half of the zone is in West Virginia, the other half in Virginia with just a sliver of Maryland.

The Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County is a scientific research center and home of the Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. The Sugar Grove Research Station in Pendleton County is a National Security Agency communications site intercepting overseas communications.

The National Radio Quiet Zone is meant to provide protection from many forms of human-made radio frequency interference.

Pendleton County leaders in West Virginia were the first to express concerns earlier this month about how the zone’s restrictions affect surrounding communities. Pendleton is now joined by Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties, which passed resolutions expressing concerns about the zone’s effects.

Besides that, the Seneca Rocks Development Authority, representing economic development interests in Grant and Pendleton Counties, has issued a resolution characterizing the issue as having regional significance.

First responders in those areas, along with mutual aid partners from neighboring areas, say they are facing increasing difficulties in maintaining clear and reliable radio communications. These communications are critical for the collaboration necessary to ensure public safety throughout the region, they say.

The county officials contend the restrictions imposed by the quiet zone inhibit the use of essential communication systems, including modern two-way radio networks, cellular and wireless data systems, and satellite broadband services such as Starlink.

Because all of the communications methods are heavily used by emergency responders, the local officials say, the limitations pose a risk to public safety by potentially delaying emergency response and, consequently, endangering lives.

“Our request is not for the closure of these federal entities but for their commitment to identifying and funding viable solutions that will enable our communication systems to operate effectively, similar to those in other regions of the country,” said Rick Gillespie, the emergency services coordinator in Pendleton County.

Representatives of the Green Bank Radio Observatory described being well aware of the concerns and made reference to discussions about the issues with specific counties — particularly Pocahontas and Pendleton counties in West Virginia and Bath County in Virginia.

Officials say closing the Green Bank Observatory and federal Sugar Grove facility would not be in the best interest of county, state, or federal leaders because both facilities play crucial roles in national security and scientific research — and are major local employers.

“There are many entities involved in the NRQZ,” said Jim Jackson, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Observatory “The Observatory isn’t the controlling factor here, but we are committed to putting in the resources we have to improve what we can. This is our community, too, and we want everyone to be safe.”

Leaders, scientists, and engineers from the quiet zone and affiliated agencies have been meeting with local officials from several surrounding counties to develop solutions over the past three years.

Some of the responses have included:

  • Multiple exemptions to facilitate emergency communications in surrounding areas, including Pocahontas and Bath Counties.
  • $2 million engineering study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, which aims to identify permanent solutions for emergency communications, with Pendleton County serving as the pilot program. It has identified eight new sites that could potentially cover 95% of the county without violating quiet zone restrictions.
  • Authorities have worked with AT&T to explore engineering solutions that would enhance cellular coverage from local sites, ensuring compliance with quiet zone guidelines. One of the most successful examples of this can be found at the Snowshoe Resort through enhancements that took shape years ago.

“We’ve been working hard to do everything we can to improve overall communications in the NRQZ, not just for first responders, but for local residents as well,” said Chris De Pree, deputy spectrum manager for the National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory.





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