We are asking for your help, on behalf of all Americans, to preserve one

Closing Pandora's Box

Massport opened Pandora’s Box when it applied for the new certification that opened Hanscom Field to commercial aviation. It is time to close the lid.

The drastic change in the character and use of the airport is happening without assessment of the impacts on federally protected historic sites, economic cost/benefit analysis, true regional transportation planning, or proper environmental review. And now both Shuttle America and USAir have applied for the right to offer passenger service between Hanscom and LaGuardia.

Our selectmen, state legislators, and U.S. representatives have asked for a moratorium on further development at Hanscom Field until a meaningful regional transportation plan has been put in place. What is "meaningful"? Meaningful means to look beyond Massport’s private and shortsighted agenda and instead examine the economic and environmental effects of commercial development at Hanscom. What is "regional"? Regional means to look beyond Logan and Hanscom and instead examine the roles of high-speed rail and of airports who want more aviation business… Manchester, N.H.; Greene, R.I., and Worcester.

Here are some facts:

Hanscom is already the second busiest airport in New England, with 197,000 operations a year, more than Bradley, Greene, Manchester, or Worcester.

Commuter flights initiated by Shuttle America last September to Trenton, Wilmington, and Buffalo increased 150% in a few months.

In addition to the new commercial expansion, general aviation, especially jet aviation, is booming at Hanscom.

Jets increased 40% in the last two years. In 1999 night flights were up 16%, overall operations 8%, and noise complaints 136%. In the first three months of 2000, overall operations rose 15%, jets 11%, night flights 26%, and noise complaints 529%.

Massport is supporting a proposal for a new 92,000 square foot corporate aviation building (three times the size of the current terminal) and a new 40,000 square foot hangar. In addition, the Air Force needs to bring back 1000 employees to the Air Base from Mitre, further adding to traffic overload.

If pursued to its logical conclusion, the current course of action will predictably result in the incremental but substantial degradation of Minute Man National

Historical Park, permanent alteration of the character of the Battle Road, and devaluation of the American people's investment in this National Park. Already the formerly beautiful approach to the Park on Route 2A off Route 128 is being widened to five lanes because of traffic congestion.

In our view, allowing commercial aviation at Hanscom is not smart growth and does not serve either the short-term or the long-term interests of the Commonwealth.

It is commonly acknowledged that the passenger aviation created at Hanscom will not have any noticeable ameliorating effect on the Logan environs, but it will have the consequence of denigrating one of the nation's most famous and treasured places and a major economic resource to the Commonwealth.

Tourism is a leading industry of Massachusetts and the Park is the sixth biggest tourist destination in the state. Over one million visitors come to the Park every year from around the world. A Bentley College study found the Park brings $40 million a year in benefits to the area.

There are over 1000 National Landmark and National Historic Register sites within three runway lengths of Hanscom - Old North Bridge itself is just over one runway length away from the airport.

Over $6 million federal dollars have been invested in the Park in just the last three years.

There is no transportation need to develop Hanscom for passenger service, especially to New York. This is not an "underserved" area. New York is already serviced by Manchester, N.H. (45 minutes away from Hanscom) and Logan (30 minutes). In addition:

The new high speed rail to New York is just 20 minutes away from Hanscom.

Worcester Airport, which seeks commercial aviation and has recently initiated New York flights, is just 40 minutes away from Hanscom and much closer than that to many of the towns from which Hanscom would draw.

The success of both of these endeavors will be undermined by New York-Hanscom flights.

Here’s what you can do: Write to Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry and ask them to support a moratorium on further development at Hanscom until appropriate environmental and economic review of the impacts of such development has taken place. Write FAA Director Jane Garvey and ask her to require environmental review of the impacts of Hanscom-LaGuardia flights before they receive final approval. Write Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit and alert him to the serious environmental threat to this historic area. Write Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert Durand and ask for his help. (Click here for their addresses.)

ShhAir (Safeguarding the Historic Hanscom Area's Irreplaceable Resources) is a grass-roots citizens' group with over 2000 members in the four towns that surround Hanscom Field— Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln.

ShhAir Board:

Lexington: Deborah Brown, Margaret Coppe, Josh Hassol, Florence Koplow, and Kay Tiffany; Concord: Gigi Estabrook, Leslie Fisher, Robert Ferstenberg; Lincoln: John Briedis, Bruce Campbell, James Henderson, John Williams, Robert Pearmain (emeritus); Bedford: Lori Eggert, Ruth Munden, Barry Priest.