Community patience wears thin with VT Air Guard new plans
by Corey McDonald
October 24, 2024, 6:02 pm
The Vermont Air National Guard has proposed a new sound mitigation plan for F-35 jets stationed at the Patrick Leahy International Airport to reduce noise pollution impacting nearby communities. The plan involves using afterburners, which could allow jets to reach higher altitudes faster, potentially reducing noise exposure for surrounding areas. However, this proposal requires a federal environmental impact study, which could take up to 18 months. While some community leaders appreciate the effort, there remains substantial opposition, with local councils passing resolutions against the F-35 mission at the airport, arguing that it is incompatible with community needs.
Main Points:
- The Vermont Air National Guard proposes using afterburners to reduce noise from F-35s at the Patrick Leahy International Airport.
- Afterburners increase thrust, potentially allowing jets to reach higher altitudes quicker and reduce noise.
- Approval is pending a federal environmental impact study, expected to begin in March and take up to 18 months.
- Early projections suggest this could remove thousands of residents from noise-affected zones, including parts of Winooski.
- The proposal comes as local patience wanes; four municipalities have passed resolutions seeking alternatives to the F-35 base.
- Some community members, like former councilor Meghan Emery, believe the F-35 mission is inherently incompatible with residential areas.
- Despite opposition, the Guard asserts its commitment to noise mitigation and balancing military responsibilities with community impacts.
- The airport’s noise insulation program, launched in 2022, has completed three phases and entered a fourth, with financial support from the FAA.
- A new sound map, based on radar and noise data, shows a slight reduction in affected housing units.
- The Vermont Air National Guard’s presence at the airport is significant economically, providing jobs and emergency services.
- There is ongoing debate between economic benefits and noise concerns, with some residents advocating for relocation of the F-35 base.
- Some suggest that decreasing flights may be the only effective noise solution, though military thresholds complicate this possibility.