This commentary is a letter sent to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from a group of Winooski residents, whose names are listed below the column.
Dear Senator Sanders,
[W]e, the undersigned families and individuals, live in Winooski and many of us have at least one young child in our homes. We are writing to urge you to reconsider your support for basing the F-35s at the Burlington International Airport.
THIS IS A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
You have dedicated your career to social justice issues and assert that you represent the common person, rather than the wealthy elite. Your website states that your presidential aspiration is to “achieve economic, racial, social and environmental justice for all.” Please demonstrate your commitment to that goal.
You advocated for the F-35 jets to be based at the Burlington International Airport and they are on target to arrive this fall. With the slated arrival of the F-35s came a new noise exposure map that was publicly released at the end of May that incorporates the anticipated increase in noise due to the F-35 jets. According to the recently released map, the total number of dwelling units exposed to average noise levels of more than 65 decibels will rise from 819 in 2015 to an estimated 2,640 in 2023, with the total population affected rising from 1,900 in 2015 to 6,125 in 2023. The federal government considers areas with an average noise of more than 65 decibels “unsuitable for residential use.” Half of the homes in Winooski will be in the noise zone of more than 65 decibels.
At community meetings, not one person from the airport, consulting firms, or Air National Guard could fully answer the question troubling each parent: How will this jet noise impact my family? We desperately want to know the long-term effects of repeatedly exposing our children to jet noise and the environmental consequences of these jets. Like most Vermonters, we love to be outside and enjoy our beautiful state, but can we even sit on our porches or visit the playground during take-off? Should we bring ear protection to the park? Should the children of Winooski wear headphones during soccer practice if the F-35s are flying above the field, or stop games to put their hands over their ears? All parents, regardless of class or race, want a safe and healthy place to raise our children, and we trusted our elected members of Congress to represent the best interests of our families. You, Senator Leahy, and Congressman Welch have failed to do that.
By all accounts, it will be years before homeowners in Winooski have access to noise mitigation funds, and the F-35s will begin arriving this fall. Noise mitigation efforts do nothing for outdoor spaces in Winooski. It is also unclear at this point whether the homeowners who access the funds will be forced to sign an avigation easement, giving away an important property right.
Winooski is a special place, home to approximately 7,267 people with unique demographics seen nowhere else in the state: Winooski is the most racially and ethnically diverse community in Vermont. We are the only minority-majority school district; there are more than 300 English language learners in the schools and approximately 20 different languages spoken in Winooski homes. Twenty-six percent of Winooski’s households are below the poverty line. The city’s median household income remains below those of Chittenden County and Vermont. We are the most densely populated city in the state and continue to grow and construct new properties. Our population is significantly younger than the rest of Vermont. Winooski’s downtown has undergone a successful revitalization process and we invite you to enjoy one of our many delicious restaurants.
So now our community faces a dilemma. The neighbors who have the financial ability to leave may choose to do so. Some people may choose to wait years for the noise mitigation funds to update their homes, continuing to put themselves and their children at unknown risk. Those who decide not to participate in the federal noise mitigation program may suffer substantial financial losses in home values and out-of-pocket expenses to mitigate the noise themselves.
Though you often dodge questions related to the F-35s, your few public responses primarily rationalize the basing decision on economic and jobs grounds. Please explain to us, the people who will soon live in homes considered “unsuitable for residential use,” why our children’s health and safety, why our home values, why our community, matter less than an undefined number of military jobs. You could have used your political power to secure a mission for the National Guard that would be appropriate for a densely populated residential area, but instead chose to advocate for the basing of a new and loud military aircraft in our community, ignoring the concerns of the most affected families.
The residents and city councils in Winooski, South Burlington, and Burlington have voted and passed resolutions voicing our opposition to the basing of F-35s in our community. You claim to be a voice for the people, but are you listening to us? Or can you not hear us over the jet noise?
Signed,
Diana and Bobby Arnell
Abby and Sean Bleything
Vada Adam
Marguerite Adelman and Robert Ackland
John Ames
Arica Bronz
Kate Cappleman Sinz
Martha and Addie Chadwick
Michael Connolly and family
George Cross
Lucy D’Aponte
Gayle DiMasi
James Ehlers
Matthew Ennis
Hillary and Rene Gombar
Sheryl Graves
Nicholas Gray and Fiona Griffin
Leigh Hamilton
Bruce Jones
Katherine Kirby
Caleb Mariott
Martha McKenna
Anis Memon and Teresa Moschin
Cara Montague
Abby Olmstead
Scott Olmstead
Walter Otten
Johanna Sheehey-Jones
Robin Sherman
Kate Simone
Sharon Snow
Curt Weeber
