Bedford Minuteman
November 20, 2001

Hanscom environmental issues reviewed by state

By BARBARA FORSTER, Correspondent

In a public hearing last week, Hanscom-area residents told state
environmental leaders exactly what they thought of the environmental issues
Massport plans to study at Hanscom Air Field next year — and received
compliments for their presentations.

" Your comments were extraordinarily specific, incisive and very helpful, "
said Jay Wickersham, director of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act
office.

The 90-minute public meeting last Thursday in Bedford conducted by MEPA was
for the Environmental Status and Planning Report Massport is required to
file for Hanscom Field. The hearing focused only on the draft scope
document. The scope describes what Massport proposes to study.

The hearing was an opportunity for the agency to hear directly from area
residents. Massport presents a draft scope, but MEPA can modify the
document, either adding, eliminating, reducing or extending subjects or
issues to be analyzed.

Of the dozen or so speakers, only a handful made general statements. Most
residents made explicit requests and suggestions. Noise metrics, ground and
water testing for lead, and traffic were the most mentioned topics.

The public comment period closes Nov. 27; all comments must be in the MEPA
office at the end of the business day. A decision will be issued after Dec.
7.

Richard Canale, co-chairman of the environmental subcommittee for the
Hanscom Area Towns Committee, was the first to speak. He asked MEPA to have
Massport withdraw the draft ESPR, complete the requirements, and then
resubmit a draft scope because Massport had failed to fulfill several
requests made by Trudy Coxe, the former state secretary of environmental
affairs.

The 12 documents range from a report on the most current state of hazardous
sites and their remediation to one on Massport’s mitigation plan and its
adjustments to purchasing and maintenance activities aimed at reducing
emissions.

Several reports were requirements listed in the Draft Section 61 Findings
that was part of the certificate issued for the 1995 Generic Environmental
Impact Report.

" There is nothing here that hasn’t been addressed time and time again, "
said Richard Walsh of Massport in a subsequent interview. " There is nothing
that has been submitted on this list that hasn¹t been fully discussed. "

Walsh added that Massport has filed all appropriate documents with MEPA.

Although the current metrics in use produce accurate data, Mark Myles, a
member of the Noise Work Group, noted that they " do not " correlate with
every day experience. " The idea is to make the community understand (noise)
and to make the perspective on noise clearer, " he said.

Noise Work Group Chairman Reinier Beeuwkes added that some metrics suggested
by the Noise Group do double duty. " They can make it easier to see changes
in activity, " he said.

Despite a recommendation for Massport to adopt all the noise metrics
suggested by the group, Myles noted that the main objection to implementing
then was money. They are expensive. However, he also presented an
alternative solution: more extensive use of data currently collected.

" There are different kinds of analyses that can be done, " he said.

In raising the traffic issue, Forrest Lindwall of Lexington pointed out that
Massport complied with a directive to increase the number of intersections
that are studied in the upcoming ESPR but by the skin of their teeth. The
number went from 13 to 14.

" They are required to look at a larger area (for traffic) but they are
proposing only one extra intersection, " he said. " The analysis also should
include the MassHighway crash rate analysis for each intersection and there
should be more substantial discussion to decrease roadway demand. "

Lexington Selectman Peter Enrich urged Wickersham to have Massport develop a
schedule that did not have the public comment period fall during the summer
months of July and August. December was also cited as a month to avoid.

In response to Massport’s intention to analyze the environmental impacts of
aviation activity as far out as 2015, Enrich asked for a shorter window of
study because the entire aviation industry is currently unstable.

MEPA officials also were asked to include lead testing regarding air quality
and groundwater. Such tests were conducted in prior environmental impact
reports and the results were negligible. Residents, however, pointed out
that the number of jets using leaded fuel has increased dramatically in
recent years.

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