Lincoln Journal

October 10, 2002

Letter: Keep cargo jets out of Hanscom

No all-cargo airline has ever operated at Hanscom Field, and that's how it should stay. Yet Massport remains open to the idea of bringing in a cargo carrier like FedEx or UPS.

In fact, Massport's draft Environmental Status and Planning Report projects six daily (1,560 annual) cargo operations by the year 2015. Moreoever, since next-day carriers must have early morning arrivals in order to make their deliveries on time, the ESPR assumes that big cargo jets will be landing at 5:45 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. daily. Although the ESPR also assumes that these will be Stage 3 jets, rather than the noisier "hush-kitted" Stage 2 jets, there is no guarantee that this would be the case, and Massport cannot require it.

At the ESPR workshops, Massport officials have rejected citizens' requests that Massport try to prevent a cargo airline from coming here. This is quite remarkable, considering that Massport is well aware of how the communities feel about this issue. It is true that, under FAA "anti-discrimination" rules, Massport can't prohibit cargo planes from landing. But it is not legally required to create a warehouse for them, or to build a new road to give special access to cargo trucks - something the ESPR specifically contemplates. If Massport cared anything for the well-being of the communities, it would make an effort to keep cargo out.

Massport keeps saying that the ESPR's projections are just "scenarios," not plans. But the fact is, the aviation activity projections in the 1995 GEIR came to pass - in fact, both commercial passenger and corporate jet operations grew even faster than the GEIR predicted. In response to a question on this specific issue (cargo), Tom Ennis of Massport stated that "everything we looked at is possible."

I urge everyone who cares about the future of our towns to attend the state environmental department's hearing on the ESPR on Nov. 7. It is critical for state officials to understand the communities' overwhelming opposition to Hanscom expansion.

Joy A. Kenen, Bedford
Tracy Winn, Concord
Vicki Blier, Lexington
Jennifer Brody, Lincoln

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