Hanscom News: Noise and Traffic at Hanscom

ShhAir
P.O. Box 441
Concord, MA 01742
(781) 674-9755
info@shhair.org

Hanscom News: Noise and Traffic at Hanscom

5/12/05 Globe: New, state-of-the-art noise-monitoring systems aimed at gathering data on excessively loud aircraft more quickly will be installed over the next year at Hanscom Field in Bedford and Logan International Airport in Boston.
4/28/05 Concord Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Only two people attended a public information meeting about the 2005 Environmental Status and Planning Report for Hanscom Field. ShhAir's own Sarah Lazarus explained that people were "voting with their feet" this time, noting that the strong involvement of the communities during the last environmental review led to very few changes from Massport.
3/17/05 Concord Journal: According to Massport's State of Hanscom Report, the total number of aircraft operations for 2004 was 180,804, a 7.2% decrease compared to 2003, although jet activity increased 8.9%.
3/10/05 Bedford Minuteman: The HATS Committee will scale back their participation in Massport's Environmental Status and Planning Report saying that "the ESPR review process has not proved to be meaningful and has not resulted in tangible controls."
2/18/05 Massport: Proposed scope (MS Word or PDF) and schedule for the L.G. Hanscom Field 2005 Environmental Planning & Status Report (ESPR).
1/30/05 Globe: Spurred by corporate travel, jet activity at Hanscom Field in 2004 amounted to 33,061 inbound and outbound flights, an 8.9 percent increase over the previous year.
12/23/04 Bedford Minuteman: The noise monitors and software will be replaced in 2005 both at Logan and at Hanscom Field, enhancing noise data collection and complaint reporting capabilities.
6/23/04 Lincoln Journal: Jet operations at Hanscom Field Civilian Airport have more than tripled between 1993 and 2003, with a 13 percent increase per year.
5/13/04 Concord Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Jet traffic at Hanscom is up 11 percent over last year, and Liberty Mutual's new hangar will add more capacity at the civilian airfield for jet activity.
3/31/04 Bedford Minuteman: A new transportation study will focus on the Battle Road and alternate transporation systems in Minute Man National Historical Park.
8/14/03 EOEA, Bedford Minuteman: Massachusetts environmental agency accepted Massport's 2000 environmental review of Hanscom, while noting the process could be improved.
6/25/03 ShhAir, Lowell Sun, Globe, Bedford Minuteman, Lincoln Journal: Local residents boycott the Final 2000 ESPR environmental hearings to send the message that the review process does little to protect the communities from FedEx and other expansion at Hanscom Field.
5/29/03 Lincoln Journal, Massport: This winter Massport plans to use de-icing chemicals to remove snow on Hanscom runways and taxiways. Here is Massport's deicing study (large 19MB PDF file).
6/3/2003 Massport: 2000 Final ESPR is available by chapter in PDF format. Here is the Table of Contents, Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
4/15/03 Massport: Hanscom Field Deicing Study.
3/17/03 Massport, Lowell Sun, MetroWest Daily News: Hanscom Field handled 218,248 takeoffs and landings in 2002, marking a 6.2 percent increase over activity in 2001, with a 35% increase in corporate jet flights. See the full 2002 State of Hanscom report here (320KB PDF file).
2/9/03 Globe: Corporate jet activity at Hanscom Field jumped sharply to 30,797 operations in 2002, compared with 22,809 the previous year.
1/30/03 Bedford Minuteman: Massport will complete its ESPR environmental study by May, and they must explain their actions if they do not comply with MEPA's specific instructions.
1/5/03 Lowell Sun: A review of Hanscom issues.
12/18/02 Lowell Sun, Globe: The state's secretary of environmental affairs believes Massport has put together an adequate plan for protecting the environment at Hanscom Field, but has raised questions about noise and road development. Local town officials and activists claim the state is not going far enough in condemning what they say is a harmful increase in corporate jet traffic and other airport activity, and that Durand's response was superficial. Massport says the Certificate allows Hanscom to "continue to play a key role in regional transportation planning as a premier general aviation facility with corporate jet and small aircraft activity and additional niche services".
12/16/02 EOEA (900K PDF): Certificate issued by Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) regarding the Draft 2000 ESPR.
11/20/02 Lowell Sun, Bedford Minuteman, Globe, Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman, Concord Journal: More than 750 residents of nearby towns turned out to criticize the Massport's ESPR environmental report, which drew no conclusions but found nothing that would prevent the expansion of the airport's commercial operations. Read some of the public's critiques of the ESPR.
11/14/02 Lincoln Journal: Resident asks "where were Massport's policy makers at the Nov 7 meeting for public comments on their environmental report?"
11/8/02 Herald, Lowell Sun, Bedford Minuteman: A huge turnout caused officials to postpone the MEPA public comment session on Massport's draft environmental plan!!! Thanks to all for coming to demonstrate against Massport's plans for expansion. Please come back with a friend to the rescheduled Nov 19 meeting at Bedford High School.
10/31/02 Concord Journal, Lexington Minuteman: Numerous letters to the editor warn that Massport's draft environmental report contains frightening projections, including large jumps in commercial and corporate jet activity, as well as late night cargo service. Residents are encouraged to come to the last meeting for public comments on Nov 7.
10/31/02 Bedford Minuteman: Late night engine run-ups at Hanscom continue to disturb local residents.
10/24/02 Bedford Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman: The HATS Environmental Subcommittee warns that Massport's draft environmental report contains forecasts of dramatic air traffic growth which could transform Hanscom Airport into a "major commercial jetport." Consultant Lisa Baci says the report has numerous flaws including forecasts that are "seriously flawed". Massport replies that the forecasts are by the numbers.
10/17/02 Bedford Minuteman: Massport claims air quality around Hanscom is very good, but it did not check its models with real-time measurements.
10/10/02 Lincoln Journal: Citizens object to the plans for late night cargo jets at Hanscom.
10/10/02 Bedford Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman: Massport admits that it has nothing specific to propose to mitigate adverse affects from increased aviation activity at Hanscom. Nancy Nelson, superintendent of Minute Man National Historical Park, stressed that aviation noise and automobile traffic on Rt 2A have a serious impact on park activities and cannot be mitigated. Separately Massport claims no big changes in wetland, wildlife, and water resources around Hanscom since 1995.
10/3/02 Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman: Massport's 2015 "high scenario" has three road intersections near Hanscom dropping to the lowest level of quality. The town's noise expert warns that Massport's noise models are oversimplified.
9/26/02 Bedford Minuteman, Lexington Minuteman, Bedford Minuteman: Massport "high scenario" projects that the number of people affected by noise from Hanscom flights at the 55db level may double by 2015, due in part to rapid growth of jet operations. Massport reminds the public that these are merely "scenarios" and do not grant approval for such increases, although Save Our Heritage notes that Massport admits they made every effort to come up with realistic, "market-based" growth projections.
9/19/02 Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Massport projects up to 295,828 flights at Hanscom by 2015 in its "high" scenario, up from 212,781 in 2000. They also project that commercial service could be serving up to 659,900 passengers, up from 162,000, and that late night cargo service could be added at Hanscom.
8/7/02 TownOnline: HATS seeks citizen help in reviewing the Draft 2000 ESPR.
8/2/02 Massport (very large 80MB pdf file): Massport's Draft 2000 Environmental Study and Planning Report (ESPR).
8/1/02 Lincoln Journal: Resident says hazards of living near Hanscom are not adequately disclosed.
6/27/02 Massport (large 3MB pdf file): Massport presented an overview of its 2000 Environmental Study and Planning Report (ESPR) at the June HATS meeting. State officials say the report clears the way for more flights at Hanscom. Save Our Heritage claims Massport is greatly underestimating the projected growth of corporate and charter jet activity. Massport does not deny this but does object to claims that the ESPR approves more flights.
6/27/02 Lincoln Journal, Bedford Minuteman: Business jet activity at Hanscom leaped 55.5% and 63.6% in April and May 2002 over the prior year. Save Our Heritage points out that jet activity has tripled since 1996. Separately, Mercury Air Group has asked Massport to transfer its lease to Signature Flight Support, a fixed-based operator with 48 locations around the world.
5/8/02 Lincoln Journal: Aircraft engine run-ups at Hanscom are waking up residents at 1am with noises like an impending jet crash. Complaints about the run-ups at the May HFAC meeting revealed that the run-ups are due to "an unusually high amount of maintenance " on Shuttle America aircraft.
4/11/02 Lincoln Journal: Lincoln resident reports stench of jet fuel covering their yard, probably caused by a plane dumping fuel before landing at Hanscom.
4/4/02 Lincoln Journal: Massport's Board approved funding last week for a consultant to advise the four Hanscom communities on the upcoming comprehensive environmental review of Hanscom Field.
3/10/02 Globe, Lexington Minuteman: Air acrobats flying from Hanscom and other airfields spawn complaints from some on the ground below.
3/7/02 Lexington Minuteman: Massport has unexpectedly reversed their position and decided not to pay for a consultant on the upcoming comprehensive environmental review of Hanscom Field, ham-stringing the towns' review efforts.
2/24/02 Globe: Corporate and charter jet activity at Hanscom soared in 2001 and now generates 90% of the civilian noise. ShhAir and Save Our Heritage plan to picket these operators in the spring to protest this explosive growth.
2/7/02 Concord Journal: Minute Man National Park rangers spend a significant fraction of their time enforcing traffic laws on the increasingly busy Battle Road, which serves as the main access road to Hanscom Field.
1/24/02 Bedford Minuteman: Massport has long promised to do an environmental review before the 49th daily commercial operation is allowed at Hanscom, but now say that it is an "internal review", not subject to any approvals.
1/24/02 Lincoln Journal: Massachusetts top environmental agency has issued the scope of what will be studied in the next environmental review (ESPR) of Hanscom.
1/16/02 Bedford Minuteman: Massport's 2000 noise report for Hanscom showed a significant increase in noise, close to a level requiring further study. Operations increased to a seven year high of 212,371 and jet/turboprop activity increased 31% from 1999. Business jets now account for 92% of the civilian noise exposure.
12/23/01 Globe: Corporate and charter jet activity has increased dramatically at Hanscom Field since Sept. 11, with 66% more operations in October 2001 than in October 2000.
12/7/01 MEPA: MEPA has decided what environmental issues will be studied next year in the 2000 Hanscom Field Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR).
12/1/01 Globe: Business jet flights at Hanscom rose 9% in September and 64% in October, as corporate travelers avoided new security measures at Logan.
11/01 Noise Regulation Report, Vol. 28, No. 11, p. 113: The computer model used by Massport may underestimate aircraft noise. "'Validation of aircraft noise data in the INM database under field conditions has shown consistent under-prediction for modeled versus measured data', said Mary Ellen Egan, principle consultant at Harris Miller Miller & Hanson."
11/27/01 HATS ESC, Save Our Heritage, ShhAir, SuAsCo: Detailed, knowledgeable comments on the proposed scope for the Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR) that Massport will complete next year.
11/22/01 Globe: Massport has laid off the manager of its noise-abatement division.
11/20/01 Bedford Minuteman: In a public hearing last week, 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.
11/1/01 Lincoln Journal: Letter to Editor pointing out that air pollution risks from Hanscom are significant, as evidenced by a recent Teterboro, N.J. study.
10/30/01 ENS: MIT study warns that "the environmental impacts of airplanes in flight are often underestimated. Air transport is responsible for 8 to 12 percent of transportation related carbon emissions."
8/23/01 Lincoln Journal: ShhAir members respond to recent Globe articles which dismiss the importance of environmental issues at Hanscom.
8/19/01 Globe: This article reviews the efforts that have been made in recent years to restore the Battle Road and other areas in Minute Man National Historical Park, noting that the value of this work could be destroyed by expansion at Hanscom.
8/13/01 Globe: Adrian Walker of the Globe says that Hanscom is a "very quiet place" and the controversy there "is not about the environment" or preserving historical sites. One local resident couldn't disagree more.
7/19/01 Concord Journal: Massport delivered a list of proposed items to be studied during an upcoming environmental planning report (ESPR) for Hanscom Field, including issues such as aircraft operations, traffic growth and noise. Massport is asking for a 60-day public comment period ending Sept. 28.
7/12/01 Bedford Minuteman: Massport re-released the 1999 Hanscom Noise Report after fixing a bug in their computer system. Operations were up 7.7% from 1998, with nighttime activity up 17%, turboprop activity up 30%, and business jet activity up 18.6%. Business jets contributed almost 92% of the civilian noise exposure.
7/5/01 Lexington Minuteman, Globe: Massport will file its ''scoping'' report for the new environmental impact review of Hanscom Field on July 16. The HATS Environmental Subcommittee has already asked that Massport consider cumulative impacts of growth at Hanscom. The Noise Working Group volunteered to continue its work.
5/31/01 Bedford Journal: Massport reaffirmed that an environmental review will take place before the 49th commercial operation per day is allowed at Hanscom Field, although the nature and scope of the review remain unclear.
10/5/00 Lincoln Journal: Hanscom averages 24,000 vehicular trips per day. The article also reported that a new GEIR (General Environmental Impact Report) is scheduled to begin next year.
7/6/00 Bedford Minuteman: Massport pledged noise reduction at Hanscom.
3/30/00 Bedford Minuteman: The Noise Work Group presented its report on noise measurement, mitigation, and abatement recommendations to MEPA on April 11. Also, the proposed new office building at Hanscom will require 500 new parking spots.
2/3/00 Lexington Minuteman: Traffic, night flights, and noise complaints increased in 1999.
12/23/99 Concord Journal: A study shows that automobile traffic can be expected to grow in the Hanscom area. A key factor is the planned relocation of many Mitre employees to the base.
5/31/94 EPA: Did you know that Hanscom Field is a Superfund site? There are 14 possible source areas have been identified to date, and 3 of Bedford's town wells have been closed.

�ShhAir 2000
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