Communities laud FAA decision for review at Hanscom
By Jamal E. Watson , Globe Staff, 8/12/2001

Community activists yesterday applauded a Federal Aviation Administration
decision that would force airlines seeking to begin or change service at
Hanscom Field in Bedford to conduct stringent environmental reviews.

''This is certainly a step in the right direction,'' said Anna Winter,
executive director of the Concord-based organization Save Our Heritage.

''Hanscom is a unique airport, in that it borders a national park, 1,000
registered historic sites, and 8,000 acres of protected open space,'' she
said. ''Its proximity to the birthplace of America's independence and the
international environmental movement makes it imperative that it be subject
to appropriate environmental review.''

The FAA ordered airlines to implement the reviews, at least partly in
response to fierce opposition from residents who live near the airport and
have expressed concerns about expansion.

Currently, Shuttle America is the only airline operating out of Hanscom.
Earlier this year, Boston Maine Airways, US Airways Express, and Midway all
expressed an interest in starting service from the airport, which is near
Route 128. US Airways has since withdrawn its interest.

Officials at the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates
Hanscom and Logan International Airport, have been trying to increase the
use of regional airports in an effort to ease demands on Logan, even as they
seek approval for a new 5,000-foot runway at Logan.

Massport officials criticized the FAA decision, saying that it implemented
special rules for the airlines to fend off complaints from residents of
communities surrounding Hanscom. The move could result in increased pressure
to add a runway at Logan.
But Anastasia Lyman, vice president of the Communities Against Runway
Expansion group, which is fighting the proposed runway at Logan, said
yesterday that she supports the FAA's decision.

''I was very pleased to see that the FAA is not going to be sidestepped or
rushed into anything,'' said Lyman, adding that she believes that the focus
on air travel negates consideration of other forms of ground transportation
to ease crowding at Logan.

''They [Massport] are ignoring what the Acela is going to do,'' she said,
referring to Amtrak's new high-speed train. ''Give it a chance. We have to
stop looking at airports as the only alternative.''

Lyman said Massport is attempting to ''play the divide-and-conquer game'' by
telling Boston residents living near the airport that they are trying to
decrease the demands on Logan by pushing the air traffic to nearby Hanscom.

''We've seen this game played before and we're not going to play it,'' said
Lyman. ''Every community deserves a full environmental review.''

Winter said she hoped that the National Park Service and the FAA could work
to ''establish a harmonious relationship between the airport and our
national treasures.''

''Every community has the right to stand up and ask for legitimate
environmental reviews,'' said Winter. ''We strongly support this process
taking place at all airports, including Logan.''


This story ran on page B2 of the Boston Globe on 8/12/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.