CAMDEN, N.C. -- The state superintendent of public instruction will tour schools in northeastern North Carolina that could be affected by the Navy's proposed landing field.

Superintendent June Atkinson will meet with reporters on Wednesday after the tour. Atkinson will discuss health and safety concerns and the cost of retrofitting the schools because of noise and vibrations from the proposed Outlying Landing Field (OLF) site.

Navy pilots now prepare for night carrier landings at bases in Virginia, both of which have been encircled by suburban development. The Navy contends that it needs a landing strip in North Carolina to relieve the pressure on the Virginia bases.

The $200 million project was halted once by opponents who successfully sued to stop the Navy from building in Washington County.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)