Bedford Minuteman
Thursday, June 27, 2002

We need to send Massport a message

To the editor:

The assault on the Logan and Hanscom communities continues unabated. The FAA has decided to let Massport build the new Logan runway, with a wind restriction that is both unenforceable and meaningless in light of Massport’ s long history of broken promises. The Globe reports that Massport’s latest fraudulent environmental review will approve more commercial flights at Hanscom — could anyone ever have thought otherwise?

No doubt the review will also downplay the horrendous impact of increased jet traffic, which is now at more than triple the 1996 level, averaging 2,678 operations a month! We can also expect the review to offer new excuses for cutting down thousands of trees in the Bedford Town Forest, such as "equalizing" operations on the two runways so each town can take its "fair share" of the burden.

Just last week First Lady Laura Bush was in Concord, emphasizing the importance of preserving Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House. We must continue our efforts to protect that special place, and all the other historic and natural treasures of our area, from being overwhelmed by Hanscom-generated noise and car traffic. We must continue to stand firm against the destruction of our historic communities. And, like Logan’s neighbors who have stopped that runway in its tracks for 28 years and are still fighting it in court, we must never give up.

We need your help to send Massport, the FAA, and the aviation industry the message that America’s heritage is not for sale. Come to Thursday’s HATS meeting at 7:30 at Bedford Town Hall; join the leafletters and banner-holders at Hanscom; write to your town’s Conservation Committee urging them to deny Massport permission to carry out its grossly excessive "vegetation management plan" ; and contact our office (978-369-6662,
info@saveourheritage.com) for more information and to find out what else you can do.

Anna Winter

Executive Director
Save Our Heritage

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