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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-19-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) Minutes—19 March 2024 Prepared by Massport Staff Video of HFAC Meeting on the Lincoln,MA TV Page: hPips://clvud.c,asfus.ty/vod/linc,olr�/�r�a��=IIG)NZ� • Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order at 7:02pm • Announcements: • Chairman Eliot recording HFAC Meeting; greeted all to March 19'meeting pursuant MA Open Meeting Law • Chairman Eliot proposed briefing by Matt Greenberg Hanscom Air Force Base Restoration Advisory Board(RAB) o Patty Dahlgren thought communities should understand Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)impacts o Emily Mitchell and Mark Giddings supported idea; Chairman Eliot will send request for April HFAC • Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services • Amber Goodspeed stated there have been no requests for future scheduled passenger or cargo service • Minutes: The January 2023 Meeting Minutes were reviewed for approval • The January 2023 Meeting Minutes were unanimously approved with the following amendments: o Correct spelling of David Sykes last name in the attendees list o Fix pagination of bullets on second page HFAC will look to approve the February 2024 minutes at the April HFAC Margaret Coppe requested that the Meeting Minutes be provided earlier to allow HFAC more time to review • Monthly Noise Reports: presented by Amber Goodspeed In February 2023 as compared to February 2024: • 7am - l 1pm operations increased 27.1%in February 2024 • Singles (including touch and goes)increased 60.5%in February 2024 • Turbo activity decreased 3.8%in February 2024 • Jet operations increased 1.9%in February 2024 • Helicopter activity decreased 1.1%in February 2024 • Night Operations(I Ipm-7am)increased 7.5% with 146 in February 2023 compared to 157 in February 2024 • Emily Mitchell queried if there was any specific day of increased noise complaints to explain monthly rise o Amber Goodspeed could not speculate on the reasons for increased perceptions • Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and Third Party Development reports and noted that: • Construction on the salt storage shed will begin in early April and will take approximately six months • No updates on Signature Flight Support nor Atlantic Aviation projects • The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)will be posted on the MEPA website on 22 March o Patty Dahlgren asked about corrected graphics and a copy of presentation deck from February HFAC o The Project team is hosting a website with all relevant documents and the project presentation o An additional public information session will be held after the draft DEIR filing o Emily Mitchell informed HFAC that responses to all comments are incorporated in table 14.2 in DEIR Report • The Environmental Planning and Status Report (FSPR)is expected to be filed in May 2024 o Chairman Eliot requested a Draft of the ESPR as soon as it is available • Runway 05/23 rehabilitation construction will begin in August 2024 and take approximately 35 days • Bids for the 2024-2028 Vegetation Management Plan(VMP) are under review;bid was posted in February 2024 • Margaret Coppe asked about construction on Old Bedford Road at entrance to Hanscom Field o Amber Goodspeed stated work part of USAir Force Sartain Gate project and not Massport project • Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda: • Chairman Eliot followed up on electric fuel flowage fees; Mike Vatalaro still researching • Chairman Eliot shared presentation given to Lexington Board of Health on Hanscom Related Air Quality Impacts o Provided information on environmental monitors and data collection,visualization and analysis o Phase I preliminary report will be submitted to the HFAC in May 2024 • Chairman Eliot purchased an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast(ADS-B) for personal use o Can collect flight data on aircraft around Hanscom Field; will attempt to correlate planes with emissions spikes • Barbara Katzenberg inquired about the ferry flight model validation method and use of proxies o Amber Goodspeed explained aircraft are not required to report passenger manifests at a general aviation airport o Tom Hirsch commented that the required information needed to validate the model is not collected o Emily Mitchell speculated that based on the presented data, there could be a net gain in operations o Chairman Eliot believes ferry flights have been overestimated by half based on fractional ownership numbers o Mark Giddings shared concern about the validity of the ferry flights and forecasted aviation activity • HFAC agreed to draft a letter in response to the DEIR with the intention of submitting combined comments o Chairman Eliot encouraged all to submit individual comments but indicate not speaking on behalf of HFAC o HFAC voted to authorize Chairman Eliot and Barbara Katzenberg to be the repository of individual member comments for the purpose of writing a joint comment letter on the DEIR from HFAC • Anne Sobol raised point that the comment period for the DEIR be extended beyond the issuance of the ESPR o Chairman Eliot feels HFAC should not be required to comment until it has equal access to the ESPR o Jennifer Boles added that the request to delay the comment period may need to come from the developers o Chairman Eliot will email Secretary Rebecca Tepper from MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to request an extension for the comment period in order to evaluate the DEIR against the ESPR • Chairman Eliot shared website built on free Google Sites; provides information on HFAC and access to agendas o Margaret Coppe volunteered to be the assistant webmaster;will document instructions for maintaining website • Citizen Comments: Citizens commented on and/or asked about the following topics • Anne Sobol asked for clarification on fuel flowage fees o Amber Goodspeed explained that fees collected for fuel sold at Hanscom Field are collected by MA Department of Revenue;portion of fees gets dispersed to four towns of Bedford, Concord, Lexington and Lincoln o Mark Giddings provided figure of$620,000 that each town received in 2023 o Amber Goodspeed to inquire into the number of gallons sold and have data for the April HFAC meeting • Patty Dahlgren asked who reviews the HFAC Meeting Minutes; suggested Minutes be split from the Report o Amber Goodspeed indicated the airport director, government and community affairs and Mark Wimmer review the monthly minutes and report; HFAC is the approving authority for the Meeting Minutes • Other Business: The date for the next HFAC meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on 16 April 2024 via Zoom • Reformation of the Commission will take place at the April HFAC meeting • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m. Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Margaret Coppe, Mark Giddings, Thomas Hirsch, Barbara Katzenberg, Emily Mitchell, Amber Goodspeed,Mike Vatalaro, Mark Wimmer, Lindsey White,Jennifer Boles,Karen Carlson,Patty Dahlgren, Alexandra Eliot, Jeanne Krieger, Anne Sobol and David Sykes.