What Every Vermonter Should Know about the F-35
10 FACTS from the U.S. Air Force Environmental Impact Statement
- The F-35 is at least 4 times louder than the F-16.
- The F-35 will put 2944 homes, 6675 people, 5 schools and 6 churches in a zone “generally not considered suitable for residential use” including more than half of Winooski.
- Homes exposed to the increased noise from the F-35 may lose between 11{33979494efa9b9c28f844b5c37a1ddedf4bb90a2eb3dac7a83ede58b7eac2e67} and 42{33979494efa9b9c28f844b5c37a1ddedf4bb90a2eb3dac7a83ede58b7eac2e67} of their value.
- Projected “Class A Mishaps” (the crash rate) for the F-35 is 11 times higher than those of the F-16.
- HUD, FHA, and VA loans are not assured for homes in the F-35 noise zone. Homeowners may be required to disclose that their homes have been designated as “not suitable for residential use” to potential homebuyers.
- The other military bases being considered for the F-35 have virtually unchanged or greatly reduced noise impacts compared to their present aircraft. Burlington is the only base for which the noise impact of the F-35 is large: up to 90{33979494efa9b9c28f844b5c37a1ddedf4bb90a2eb3dac7a83ede58b7eac2e67} greater impacts than present aircraft.
- The F-35 will expose the children at Chamberlin Elementary School in South Burlington to levels of noise many times louder than what is considered acceptable for children in school.
- The excessive noise of the F-35 is “disproportionately” directed at our poorer and immigrant communities.
- The $53 million figure often stated as the payroll of the Vermont ANG is not supported by the data. The Air Force says that with the F-35, the total Vermont ANG payroll is only $20 million; less than 1{33979494efa9b9c28f844b5c37a1ddedf4bb90a2eb3dac7a83ede58b7eac2e67} of the $5.9 billion total non-farm income of Chittenden County.
- Of the 1130 personnel at the Vermont ANG, 730 train one weekend a month and “hold full-time jobs outside the Vermont ANG.” Those jobs outside the Vermont ANG are not at risk. 333 jobs are full-time military and their membership in the military is not at risk. Nothing in the EIS says that even the 67 who are full-time civilians have their jobs at risk.
All citations reference pages as numbered in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement seen at http://www.accplanning.org/. References for each item listed: (1) BR4-18 and C-6 or C-9, (2) C-14, (3)BR-4-18 and C-47, (4) BR4-46 and BR4-47, (5) C-47, (6) HL4-45, etc., (7) C-21 and C-6 or C-9, (8) BR4-77, (9) BR-4-71 and BR-4-73, (10) BR-4-71.
There’s More…
- Inaccurate data was submitted for the military’s initial screening process to determine the best location for the F-35. More than 1,500 homes that currently exist in the “generally not considered suitable for residential use” were not identified. As a result, BTV scored higher than it should have. The correct data may have disqualified Burlington from consideration.
- The South Burlington City Council, School Board, and Planning Commission and the Winooski School Board have all voted to oppose the F-35.
- The F-35 is described by its maker, Lockheed Martin, as a firstday- of-the-war, long range high altitude stealth bomber that carries 18,000 pounds of bombs. Describing it as a “fighter jet” designed for patrol/air defense is inaccurate.
- The F-35 program is going to cost taxpayers more than $1.5 trillion dollars over its 30-year lifetime.
- Neither the Air Force nor VtANG states that the Guard Base will close or downsize if Burlington does not get the F-35.
- The EIS mentions no plans by the Air Force, VtANG or the airport to compensate homeowner s for the loss of home value or to compensate affected cities and the Vermont Education Fund for lost tax revenues from the lower property values that may result from the F-35.
- The EIS mentions no plans by the Air Force, VtANG, or the airport to mitigate the noise impacts of the F-35, and the FAA says that no noise mitigation methods actually work.
CONCERNED?
All three of our congressional delegates actively support the F-35 coming to Vermont. Please make your voice heard.
Sen. Patrick Leahy 802-863-2525
Sen. Bernie Sanders 802-862-0697
Rep. Peter Welch 802-652-2450
Get involved with the Stop the F-35 Coalition! [email protected]
Researched by the Stop the F-35 Coalition
stopthef35.com