I am writing to you to express my concerns about basing F-35’s in the Burlington area.
First of all I’d like to call your attention to the front page article in the June 27, 2012 Burlington Free Press, “Grave Mistakes Made in Choosing Burlington” http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120626/NEWS02/306270004/Councilor-Grave-mistakes-ranking-Burlington-F-35?
(This informative article describes research documenting the harmful effects of airport noise on children, students, and others–editor)
Everyday Noise Can Overstimulate the Body’s Stress Response
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
In the beginning there was silence, and it was good.
Burlington City Council
Resolution: No to basing F-35A in Burlington
Whereas the United States Air Force issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that states that in July 2010 the Air Force selected Burlington International Airport in South Burlington, Vermont is one of two “preferred alternative locations” for the initial operational bed down of the F-35A; and
The Vermont Guard Commander, General Dubie, held a brief press conference last week to defend the basing the F-35 bombers. “Vermont Guard commander defends basing of F-35s” While attempting to downplay noise impacts, and to seemingly cast doubt on the validity of the Air Force’s own draft Environmental Impact Statement, the General offered no actual data to back up his claims and assurances.
1. According to the Air Force Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) the F-35 bomber is much louder than the F-16. The EIS also shows that basing the F-35 here will place 1366 additional houses in Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, Williston and Colchester within the FAA-defined “incompatible with residential use” 65 dB noise level contour. Over 100 homes within that contour have already been demolished in S. Burlington because of F-16 noise. The F-35 will bring half the houses in Winooski and a dozen streets in Burlington within that “incompatible” contour.
Please contact the people listed below before June 20th and tell them you don’t want the F-35s coming to Vermont. Postal mail needs to be postmarked by June 20th.
— Main Air Force Contact for the Draft EIS —
[email protected]
Mr. Nicholas Germanos
HQ ACC/A7PS
129 Andrews St., Suite 337
Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769
Ms. Kathleen Ferguson
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations – SAF-IEI
1665 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330-1665
*Required to read letters sent directly to her
Sound level, sound intensity, and loudness are explained in the Air Force draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The bottom line is, according to figures in the EIS, the maximum loudness of the F-35 is more than four times louder than the the maximum loudness of the F-16 both at takeoff and landing.
The EIS explains the difference between three concepts: sound level, sound intensity, and perceived loudness
Here are the numbers and explanation, all from the EIS:
Table BR3.2-1 on page BR4-18 of the EIS gives the Lmax for the F-16C and the F-35A
1. According to the Air Force Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) the F-35 bomber is much louder than the F-16. The EIS also shows that basing the F-35 here will place 1366 additional houses in Burlington, South Burlington, Winooski, Williston and Colchester within the FAA-defined “incompatible with residential use” 65 dB noise level contour. Over 100 homes within that contour have already been demolished in S. Burlington because of F-16 noise. The F-35 will bring half the houses in Winooski and a dozen streets in Burlington within that “incompatible” contour.
