Vermont Gas to Pay for Some F-35 Soundproofing
By Courtney Lamdin
October 29, 2020
A sizable contribution from a Vermont utility will help soundproof buildings in three Chittenden County cities affected by F-35 jet noise, officials said Thursday.
Vermont Gas Systems will kick in $550,000 for Burlington International Airport’s noise mitigation program in fiscal year 2021. The amount covers the required 10 percent local match for a $4.5 million annual federal grant sought by Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski.
“When it appeared that our general funds … might be on the hook in some way for that half a million dollars or more a year, that was a real obstacle to moving forward with this program,” Mayor Miro Weinberger said at a press conference in Winooski, where he was joined by that city’s mayor, Kristine Lott, and South Burlington City Council chair Helen Riehle