HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-18-HFAC-min Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC)
Minutes—18 June 2024
Prepared by Massport Staff
Video of HFAC Meeting on the Lincoln,MA TV Page:
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• Call to Order: HFAC Chairman Christopher Eliot called the meeting to order at 7:02pm
• Announcements:
• Chairman Eliot recording HFAC Meeting; greeted all to June 18'meeting pursuant MA Open Meeting Law
• Chairman Eliot suggested researching economic benefits of Hanscom Field at autumn HFAC meeting
o Emily Mitchell agreed HFAC should look at Massachusetts Statewide Airport Economic Impact Study Update
and Thomas Hirsch mentioned recent Bedford Citizen Opinion article
• Chairman Eliot presented 2-minute video on blended wind aircraft; design could reduce fuel consumption
• Chairman Eliot provided information on production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel(SAF) from cover crops
• Cargo or Scheduled Commercial Passenger Services
• Amber Goodspeed stated there have been no requests for future scheduled passenger or cargo service
• Minutes: The May 2024 Meeting Minutes will be reviewed at the July HFAC
• Monthly Noise Reports: Time during the meeting to present the Monthly Noise Report was not allocated
• Capital Programs and Third Party Development Reports: Amber Goodspeed presented the Capital Programs and
Third Party Development reports and noted that:
• Salt Storage Shed Relocation project has begun;old building will be razed in June
• New electric vehicle charging station has been installed at the maintenance garage
• Paving for Atlantic Aviation is completed; anticipate Certificate of Occupancy by end of June
• Signature Flight Support project is completed and subsequently will not be on future project reports
• Hanscom Field Environmental Planning and Status Report (FSPR)public comment period extended to August 13'
• Agenda Items: Topics discussed on published agenda:
• Dr.Neelakshi Hudda presented Phase I summary of findings from deploying stationary monitoring sites to
measure ultra fine particles (UFP) and map the spatial spread of air quality impacts around Hanscom Field
o Terri Ackerman commented on World Health Organization (WHO) standards presented by Dr. Hudda; the WHO
defines levels as high and low not as good or bad
o Emily Mitchell queried box whisker plots; Sean Mueller provided insight on distribution of data and outliers
o Thomas Hirsch asked why sites don't pick up higher concentrations from departing aircraft; Dr. Hudda explained
that at higher altitudes particles are spreading out more and therefore don't get high concentration readings
o HFAC decided to send report to four Town Select Boards and Secretary Rebecca Tepper at the Executive Office
of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Jennifer Boles suggested have "Draft"watermark on the documents
• Dr. Hudda asked HFAC for volunteers to be on steering committee for EPA grant Tufts Air Pollution Lab is
applying for aimed at using air quality data to make decisions in communities near airfields
• Margaret Coppe updated HFAC on website development; content and archiving issues need to be resolved
o Chairman Eliot showed website with sidebar links to current meeting, agenda and archived documents
o Tom Hirsch suggested simple links to documents and pages that take little space
o Emily Mitchell suggested making archive folder for specific documents
o HFAC decided to wait on releasing website till HFACMA.gov URL is available
• Chairman Eliot suggested HFAC provide letter summarizing comments on ESPR from HFAC members
o Emily Mitchell would like comments to be substantive; can disagree but can't tell Massport to delete sentences
o Chairman Eliot reviewed comments on buffer areas, availability of GI OOUL high octane unleaded avgas, effects
of noise,individual aircraft metrics, lay public knowledge and definitions of corporate and business aviation
o Emily Mitchell discussed her comments on airport activity levels, expected aviation growth,wetlands wildlife
water resources and Massport using its authority to help reduce aviation emissions
o Barbara Katzenberg would like more than one curve projection accommodating future political pressures
o Barbara Katzenberg volunteered to write first draft with specific comments in an appendix format
• Citizen Comments: No Citizen Comments were discussed
• Other Business: The date for the next HFAC meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on 16 July 2024 via Zoom
• Victoria Whitmore will present more information on her Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) study at July HFAC
• Next Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS)is 10 July at 7:OOpm
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:09 p.m.
Attendees: Christopher Eliot, Margaret Coppe, Thomas Hirsch, Barbara Katzenberg, Emily Mitchell, Amber Goodspeed,
Mike Vatalaro, Terri Ackerman, Cindy Baxter,Jennifer Boles, Liz Cobbs,John Durant, Alexandra Eliot, Katherine Lee
Goyette,Neelakshi Hudda, Sean Mueller, Heather Patterson, Mike Rosenberg and Victoria Whitmore.