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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-16-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) Minutes—16 April 2024 Prepared by Massport Staff Video of HFAC Meeting on the Lincoln,MA TV Page: hPips://C1-0LAI.c,a1;W, tv/vocl/linc,olr01�&I e=II()M"I • Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order at 7:03pm • Announcements: • Chairman Eliot recording HFAC Meeting; greeted all to April 16'meeting pursuant MA Open Meeting Law • Chairman Eliot asked for quarterly introductions from all HFAC,Massport, FAA and MCAC members • Amber Goodspeed announced upcoming Active Shooter Exercise for emergency responders at Hanscom Field • Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services Amber Goodspeed stated there have been no requests for future scheduled passenger or cargo service • Minutes: The February and March 2024 Meeting Minutes were reviewed for approval • Chairman Eliot thanked Massport for providing the draft Meeting Minutes early in order to review • The February 2024 Meeting Minutes were unanimously approved with no amendments • The March 2024 Meeting Minutes were unanimously approved with the following amendments: o Change "will"to "with"in the Capital Programs section, third bullet o Add"in response to the DEIR"in the Agenda section,the fifth bullet • Monthly Noise Reports: presented by Amber Goodspeed In March 2023 as compared to March 2024: • Calendar year to date traffic down 0.8% compared to 2023 and down 6.9% compared to 2019 • 7am- l 1pm operations decreased 12.7%in March 2024 • Singles(including touch and goes) decreased 24.5%in March 2024 • Jet operations increased 0.1%in March 2024 • Noise Exposure (EXP)was up 0.2 decibels in March 2024 • Night Operations(I Ipm-7am)increased 16%with 185 in March 2023 compared to 219 in March 2024 • 339 Noise Disturbance Reports were made by 29 residents • Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and Third Party Development reports and noted that: • North Airfield Project team sent a request to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) for the public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)to be extended to June 7' o Amber Goodspeed provide links to the North Airfield project website and the Mass.gov Public Comment Portal o Margaret Coppe requested that Amber Goodspeed inform HFAC when the decision is made on the extension • Paving for the Signature Flight Support and Atlantic Aviation projects will be accomplished in May • Runway 05/23 rehabilitation construction will begin in August 2024 and take approximately 35 days o Project team will attend the May HFAC and provide an updated presentation on the project • Atlantic Aviation has submitted a tenant alteration application(TAA)to install a 20,000 gallon fuel tank at their existing fueling facility;installation will take place in Fall of 2024 over two days on the existing infrastructure o Margaret Coppe queried total number of fuel farms on Hanscom Field; each fixed base operator has fuel a farm • Kathleen Sullivan asked why the public comment period on the DEIR extension was requested o Chairman Eliot indicated that HFAC had sent a letter to Secretary Rebecca Tepper at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)requesting an extension so the Hanscom Field Environmental Planning and Status Report(FSPR)would be published before the end of the public comment period o Chairman Eliot requested a Draft of the FSPR; Amber Goodspeed will provide copy as soon as it is published o Anne Sobol commented on importance of information contained in the EPSR for providing DEIR comments • Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda: • Margaret Coppe nominated Christopher Eliot to remain as Chairman as part of HFAC reformation o HFAC voted 3-0 (Eliot abstained)to re-elect Christopher Eliot as Chairman for another year term • Neil Rasmussen,President of Save Our Heritage,gave his presentation "Greenhouse Gas Effects of Hanscom Jet Hangar Project"; discussed his estimates of global pollution, air traffic projections,net zero and ferry flights o Barbara Katzenberg and Chairman Eliot thanked Mr. Rasmussen for his disquisition • Amber Goodspeed presented a summary of the Annual State of Hanscom Report;provided website for Report o Presented the Operations for 2023, five year Financial Study and Capital Projects o Chairman Eliot had questions on deficits and surpluses; Amber Goodspeed explained revenues were booked earlier than scheduled so created surplus for Fiscal Year(FY)2023,which will be normalized for FY2024 • Chairman Eliot followed up on electric fuel flowage fees;Mike Vatalaro stated Massport does not have a current policy and will continue to update at future HFAC meetings on progress • Chairman Eliot shared draft letter to be signed by HFAC with comments on the North Airfield DEIR o Barbara Katzenberg outlined that letter included concerns of HFAC and residents from four adjoining towns o Chairman Eliot elaborated on letter stating concerns about global warming and request for MEPA to address specific issues and resolve disputed claims and numerous inconsistencies listed in Appendices A and B o Emily Mitchell was absent but wanted her comments that the DEIR be updated with new ESPR data included o HFAC voted unanimously to approve letter with three additional corrections that had been suggested • Professor Neelakshi Hudda presented preliminary data visualizations on Hanscom Related Air Quality Impacts o Monitored 10 sites for at least four weeks each;incorporates temporal trends,meteorology and flight activity o Explained concentration change of baseline,gradual, and spike,rapid, of ultrafine particles (UFPs o Kati Winchell asked about number of Phases; Phase 2 will be July to August 2024 and will conclude study o Anne Sobol inquired on quantities of particles; Professor Hudda noted the US does not have guidelines for UFPs o Jennifer Boles wanted to know if a more in-depth study would be done based on preliminary results;Professor Hudda explained probably best to get funding from higher funding source and not put burden on communities • Chairman Eliot and Margaret Coppe will continue to work on the HFAC website development • Citizen Comments: Citizens commented on and/or asked about the following topics • Margaret Coppe asked as a citizen of Lexington for clarification on a hostile incident reported at Hanscom Field by Sharon Williams at the March 21'Massport Board Meeting o Amber Goodspeed explained that it was the same announcement made at the beginning of the HFAC about the upcoming Active Shooter Hostile Event training exercise scheduled for May 2024 • Other Business: The date for the next HFAC meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on 21 May 2024 via Zoom • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m. Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Margaret Coppe, Thomas Hirsch,Barbara Katzenberg, Amber Goodspeed,Mike Vatalaro, Mark Wimmer, Kay Corry Aubrey, Cindy Baxter, Christopher Boles, Jennifer Boles, Fan Chen, Corinne Doud, Alexandra Eliot,Pat Hanlon, R Harvey,Neelakshi Hudda, Jeanne Krieger, Sarah Lance, Trish O'Hagan,Neil Rasmussen, Mark Sandeen, Anne Sobol, Kathleen Sullivan and Kati Winchell.