Bedford Minuteman
October 24, 2002

Major commercial jetport on Hanscom's horizon?

By Richard Canale and Julian Bussgang / Guest Columnists

Massport has released a draft report that contains forecasts of dramatic air traffic growth which could transform Hanscom Airport into a "major commercial jetport." Residents need to be aware of this Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR). This planning document, according to Massport, "provides the broad planning context that might be reasonably considered by Massport," and it outlines scenarios that are "reasonably foreseeable."

A public meeting on the ESPR will be held by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Unit, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Bedford Town Hall. The MEPA Unit is the state agency charged with reviewing the report to determine whether it adequately assesses environmental impacts from the airport ands contains measures to minimize or mitigate environmental damage from airport activities.

Massport's scenarios include two airport uses that have never occurred at Hanscom. First, is commercial passenger service conducted in 60-seat regional jet aircraft. Massport's analysis assumes yearly commercial passenger service could bring 660,000 passengers per year by 2015, a 479 percent increase from 2001 passenger levels.

Second, are scheduled cargo airline operations (operating typically at night), which Massport has stated could be accommodated within a matter of months. Currently, small volumes of cargo are carried as incidentals within existing aircraft. Now, Massport is projecting that a company such as FedEx may wish to base scheduled operations here. Massport inexplicably assumes they would fly Stage 3 aircraft rather than far noisier hush kitted Stage 2 planes that they typically fly.

Hanscom Airport forecasts in the ESPR include up to 299,282 total operations per year within the next 13 years, of which almost 60,000 would be jet planes. The most aggressive forecast analyzed by Massport estimates a quadrupling of jet operations between 1995 and 2015. From the data presented, we deduce that night air traffic, between 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be significantly noisier and more frequent.

Under Massport's own most robust forecast, by 2015, a plane would take off or land at Hanscom, at an average frequency of nearly every minute between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Close to one of every five of these planes is likely to be a jet plane.

Massport claims that the growth studied in the ESPR will result in relatively minor environmental effects, mainly in noise and ground traffic. They suggest that they won't likely be responsible for any needed mitigation. Massport states that increased noise impacts would be borne by the residents and visitors to the Minute Man National Historical Park and other cultural, historic, and recreational sites.

Massport discusses traffic infrastructure improvements including building three rotaries, one roundabout, and lane additions along Routes 2A and 62 in Lincoln, Concord, and Bedford. They claim that these improvements would be the responsibilities of the local towns, state, and National Park Service. Massport reports that they may build new airport entrances in Bedford and Lexington.

Although air pollution emissions are estimated to increase dramatically due increased Hanscom activities, Massport is unwilling to commit to specific reduction measures. Because of mandated standards, the state must then compensate for Massport's increases by seeking private businesses and automobile owners to bear the burden through further restrictions.

The Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) has charged its Environmental Subcommittee to oversee the ESPR review process and make recommendations. The committee believes that significant environmental damage would occur under the Massport scenarios in every environmental category. Our consultants are documenting the deficiencies in the ESPR, and we will present them to MEPA at the Nov. 7 Hearing.

Massport's representatives have recently sent letters to the local papers criticizing residents who interpret the ESPR differently than the Massport mantra. Massport cites a limited set of statements from the ESPR to imply that the scenarios are just hypothetical, and that, in any case, their impacts are minimal. When a contrary fact is presented, Massport representatives often try to counter with a mantra statement to avoid addressing facts that point to deficiencies or likely significant damage, and has labeled a commenter as alarmist. Massport's mantra includes meaningless statements such as the scenarios being, "not necessarily what will happen or should happen." They won't say what they actually are planning. Why?

Massport explicitly stated in 1997 that it was not "Massport's policy to convert Hanscom into a major commercial jetport." Because of that, Massport carefully chose not to include high volume commercial and cargo scenarios forecasts in the previous ESPR (1995 GEIR). They have chosen to include them in this ESPR. What should anyone now conclude about "Massport's policy to convert Hanscom into a major commercial jetport"?

Come to the MEPA Hearing on Nov. 7 to hear our consultants' presentation and other comments. Express your own views of Massport's Draft ESPR to MEPA at the hearing, or in writing to MEPA by the Nov. 15 deadline.

Richard Canale and Julian Bussgang are Lexington residents and co-chairmen of Hanscom Area Towns Committee, Environmental Subcommittee.

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