The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

Hanscom Air Field

Dozens of luminaries petition Healey to stop Hanscom expansion

More than 40 leading historians, scientists, and climate and environmental advocates sent a letter today to Gov. Maura Healey asking her to stop the proposed private jet expansion of Hanscom Field.

The airfield is close to Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP), Walden Pond, and nearby landmarks which the National Trust for Historic Preservation and has designated as among America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Those areas are ground zero for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, with events that will draw thousands to the region.

Minute Man National Park, Walden, and their historic environs represent and reflect our nation’s ability to prevail, evolve, and enlighten in the face of extreme challenge,” the letter says. Signers include musician and Walden Woods project founder Don Henley, actor/activists Ed Begley Jr. and Ashley Judd, 350.org founder Bill McKibben, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, musician James Taylor, historian Douglas Brinkley Jr., former Massachusetts secretary for environmental affairs John DeVillars, and Ellen Emerson and Mark Thoreau, direct descendants of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau.

Last June, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper rejected the draft environmental impact report for the expansion and asked the developers to submit a supplemental report with additional information about climate impacts, among other things. The proposal would add 17 hangars that could accommodate more than 60 additional private jets.

Healey is also the target of petitions from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere; the letter has garnered 14,000 signatures so far. The state legislature and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office do not have the authority to stop a Massport project; only Healey has that power.

Click here to see previous news and opinion piece in the Lincoln Squirrel about this issue.

My Turn: Speakers in Lincoln give updates on latest political developments

By Barbara Slayter

More than 50 Lincoln residents gathered at Bemis Hall on Saturday, March 22 at a Lincoln Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) meeting to hear from State Rep. Carmine Gentile and Lincoln resident and environmental activist Paul Shorb on topics including what the Massachusetts legislature is doing to protect its citizens from adverse actions by the federal government.

Shorb, along with Lara Sullivan, project manager for Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom and Anywhere (SPJE), addressed three key points:

  • The climate bill signed by Gov. Healey last November requires Massport to promote environmental protection, resilience, and justice in its undertakings, not just commerce and economic growth. A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for expanding Hanscom Air Field was rejected last April by the Massachusetts Environmental Protetion Agency (MEPA). A supplemental one was requested and should be available in a few months. The SPJE regards this as an important step forward in the process.
  • Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the idea that synthetic jet fuel can be made from renewable sources. This has been a key argument in support of expanding private jet use at the airport, but few regard it as a viable solution since renewable resources for this purpose cannot be developed at the scale required.
  • It is critical for the SPJE campaign (now composed of over 100 organizations including the LDTC) to keep a strategic focus on the issues, targeting the governor, legislature and the public with accurate information. Organizations are invited to become part of the coalition and residents are invited to sign the petition.

Gentile recognized Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s strong leadership in joining with Democratic AGs across the country to bring legal challenges to the federal government when it is violating state and individual constitutional rights. He also noted:

  • The large cash reserves (which have increased in recent years) in the Massachusetts treasury along with its high bond rating, as buffers against loss of federal funding.
  • The legislature’s awareness of both the challenges of the current federal government and need to move appropriate legislation through quickly. New rules should result in a speedier process. 
  • Bills co-sponsored by Gentile and currently pending in the Massachusetts legislature for raising the minimum wage, eliminating substandard care in for-profit hospitals and nursing homes, and underwriting various components of the educational system.

Lincoln residents expressed a variety of issues and concerns ranging from national politics to local land use, including:

  • Broadening the base of the Democratic party
  • Potential misuse of personal data of Massachusetts residents by DOGE
  • Protecting our laws, especially those that could be weaponized
  • Ways in which the loss of federal funds will affect Massachusetts
  • Appreciation for MassHealth but alarm over its shortcomings
  • Preventing concerns about antisemitism from becoming an infringement on free speech
  • Increasing progress on the Massachusetts housing shortage and need to improve public transportation
  • Options for land use of the area around the West Concord roundabout now that the prison has been closed

Questions demonstrated that residents who are proud of Massachusetts and pleased to live in this state are increasingly anxious and angry about the direction in which our federal government is moving.

LDTC Chair Travis Roland also announced upcoming events, including the Hands Off! protest on Saturday, April 5 at the Boston Common.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Understanding aviation’s “sustainable” aviation fuel

By Chris Eliot

The airline industry is desperate to show their environmental progress but jet fuel is critical to the industry. SAF, or so-called “sustainable” aviation fuel, is the idea that synthetic jet fuel can be made from renewable sources. Unfortunately, I think the industry has prematurely endorsed SAF without having a credible plan to implement this solution. Lara Sullivan wrote about this on March 3 (see “My Turn: Kudos for piece on sustainable aviation fuels“). The scale of the aviation industry is the fundamental problem.

There are many ways to create SAF but they all fall into three broad categories.

  1. It is technically possible to produce SAF from energy crops. According to a recent Department of Energy report, BETA-2023, this would require 76 million acres of land worth $76 billion to $760 billion. This amount of land is between the total size of Arizona and New Mexico. On the face of it, devoting this much land to the aviation industry seems excessive. It would result in higher food prices due to the amount of crops that would be used to fuel planes rather than feed people. In addition, it would inevitably lead to deforestation either in the United States or elsewhere, which will increase global warming. This means that producing this form of SAF would cause the very problem that the production of SAF aims to solve. Attempting to produce SAF from energy crops seems infeasible and may not actually address the climate change problem.
  1. It is technically possible to produce SAF from a wide variety of miscellaneous sources such as used cooking oil, wood chips, seaweed, municipal waste, etc. Unfortunately, all of these sources put together only address a small percentage of the quantities needed by the current and projected growth of the aviation industry. These miscellaneous sources do not solve the problem.
  1. Finally, SAF can be produced from component chemicals of hydrogen and carbon. This path is often called “e-fuel.” It may be described as a combination of carbon capture and hydrogen production by electrolysis. Jet fuel is chemically a hydrocarbon and there are industrial processes to combine gaseous hydrogen and carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons, although large amounts of energy are required. This process can be implemented with existing technology. However, it is impossible to scale up in the next half-century. The fundamental problem is that too much energy is needed to produce the required hydrogen.

The energy required would exceed the entire current capacity of the U.S. electrical grid. We already have to significantly increase our production of green electricity to support electric cars, houses, and industry. Doubling this effort in the available time frame would be almost impossible to do. However, aviation might drain our energy supply to satisfy their need for SAF and then disclaim responsibility for the problem.

The aviation industry denies all these problems and proposes that economy of scale is all that is required to cause a transition to SAF. I believe this is wishful thinking at best. The record of the fossil fuel industry as a source of truth about climate change speaks for itself.

The scale of the aviation industry is simply too large to fully transition to SAF, although some SAF will be produced and will contribute to a small percentage of the solution. There will always be a place for aviation, but it cannot massively grow and almost certainly must modestly shrink to fit within a limited supply of climate-friendly fuel. Alex Chatfield wrote on February 23 about the need to limit private jet usage (see “My Turn: Proposed private-jet Hanscom expansion is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing“). The massive propaganda campaign currently attempting to portray SAF as a viable solution is greenwashing and ignores the fundamental limitations of this technology.

The new CEO of Massport suggested that we should “let them try” to create SAF to address aviation’s contribution to climate change. The problem with this is the same as false medical treatment: while aviation is pursuing the false hope that SAF will solve the problem, they are spending money and time going down a false path instead of investing that money and effort into addressing the real problem. Meanwhile, the Earth is rapidly approaching irreversible climate changes that will make life difficult for everyone, impacting food, water, livable space, and quality of life.

I oppose putting any public money into support for SAF unless and until there is a complete and viable production plan in place. We should not invest in promises that are vague and scientifically unsound. SAF at this time is a fantasy and distracts attention from the real problem. The aviation industry must be forced to develop a credible and executable plan to become climate friendly.

What can you do?

Be informed. Double-check my analysis and satisfy yourself that my research makes sense. Then, talk to your friends and explain the situation to them. This is a large and complex problem that won’t be solved quickly, but we need to convince people to push for a real solution and not to accept the false promise being pushed by the aviation and oil industry.

Chris Eliot of Lincoln is chair of the four-town Hanscom Field Advisory Commission.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Kudos for piece on sustainable aviation fuels

By Lara Sullivan

Alex Chatfield’s piece (“My Turn: Proposed private-jet Hanscom expansion is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing,” February 23, 2025) was an incredibly informative piece on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), which Massport touts as their solution to “green” aviation, despite their lack of technical merit. It should be pointed out that at the meeting referred to in Chatfield’s piece, Lincoln Select Board Member Jim Hutchinson made some excellent points that deserve to be highlighted.

For context, at the Jan. 28, 2025 HATS meeting, new Massport CEO Rich Davey enthusiastically promoted SAFs at their facilities, despite major concerns about the scalability and the drawbacks of SAFs. In response, Hutchinson pointed out that, even if Massport promotes the use of SAFs to the fullest extent possible, they don’t have the power to actually ensure that planes use SAFs. “Even if you had SAF, you can’t make jets that use the airports that you control use it,” said Hutchinson. “You’re not allowed to require them to use SAF… And in general, FAA doesn’t seem that interested in managing CO2 emissions. So how do we deal with that as a state that has… pretty serious climate goals?”

We will see how Massport plans to address these concerns in the coming weeks. For now, it seems as though they have their fingers in their ears, ready to push ahead with a faulty solution despite the well-researched concerns expressed by experts, state and town officials, and community members.

Lara Sullivan is the project manager for Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Proposed private-jet Hanscom expansion is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing

By Alex Chatfield

Fellow Lincolnites: Don’t let Massport pull the wool over our eyes. The proposal for an immense private jet hangar facility at Hanscom Field is a climate bomb in sheep’s clothing that must be stopped. Hanscom Field civilian airport is owned and operated by Massport, and is distinct from Hanscom Air Force Base which focuses on research and development and has no airfield. 

Private jets are the most carbon-intensive form of travel per passenger, and frequently used for leisure and convenience. Expanding this form of travel in the midst of a climate crisis is indefensible. For this reason, Massport and prospective developers have packaged their enormous 522,000-square-foot, highly polluting proposal as a model of “sustainable aviation” to distract the public and policymakers.

A 5-minute CBS News segment on “How Airports are ‘Greenwashing’ their Reputations” reveals that when airports claim to be sustainable, they are referring solely to their green buildings and infrastructure, which comprise only 2% of the emissions generated at airports, while excluding aircraft emissions, which constitute the remaining 98%.

The CBS report further spotlights the hope and hype surrounding sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), which the prospective Hanscom developers enthusiastically tout, saying their new facility will promote SAFs. This claim is misleading on several counts. First, the word “promote” holds little weight since, as the CBS report discloses, the FAA prohibits airports or airport facilities from requiring a specific type of fuel. Second, by the Hanscom developers’ own admission, “the aviation industry projects use of alternative/clean-fuel aircraft (i.e., electric or SAF) to be approximately 10 percent of aircraft by 2030” (see the developers’ DEIR [Draft Environmental Impact Report], Section 3.1.3).

These points were reinforced by a January 8 webinar on SAFs attended by nearly 200 participants statewide. After examining several types of SAFs, independent analysts from MIT, the World Resources Institute, and the Institute for Policy Studies cautioned that while SAFs are technically feasible, it is not likely that they will be available at scale by 2050, the year that scientists say we must reach net zero to avert the worst impacts of climate change. 

Moreover, the trade-offs with SAF production at scale are daunting. Crop-based SAFs would sabotage food production by hijacking arable land for jet fuel. For example, to reach the current U.S. goal of 35 billion gallons of SAF in 2050 would require 114 million acres of corn—20 percent more than the current total land area of corn crops in the U.S. Meanwhile, synthetic SAFs for jets would put an enormous burden on the electric grid, competing with internet, AI, heat/AC, light and refrigeration.

Concerns about greenwashing were echoed by area Select Board members and our state legislators at the January 28 virtual HATS meeting (Hanscom-Area Town Selectboards) with new Massport CEO Rich Davey.

Mark Sandeen, chair of HATS stated that, if the proposed private jet expansion were to go forward, the 75 or so additional private jets at the new facility would generate more emissions than all of the houses and cars in Lexington, Bedford, Concord and Lincoln combined. “You’re looking at a group of people here who dedicated decades of their lives to reducing the emissions of their towns, and to see one project wipe out any possibility of success… we don’t view that as small,” he said.

State Sen. Mike Barrett posited to Davey that “there is a sense in which you’re rolling out SAFs, I think, as a shield and in order to disarm us,” a point that Davey heatedly denied, referencing an SAF startup in Charlestown in his defense. To this, Barrett replied: “We have lots of startups in Massachusetts that hope someday to cure cancer, and we certainly want to encourage them to try. But none of us go out and encourage our kids to smoke cigarettes because the cure is going to come in their lifetimes.”

Christopher Eliot, chair of HFAC (Hanscom Field Advisory Commission, representing the four Hanscom-area towns) added that after studying SAFs in “excruciating detail,” he doesn’t believe they have technical merit: “Each new version solves one problem and creates two others… They’re either going to blow out agriculture or blow out the electrical system.” 

Speaking for many, Eliot shared this comment: “The only thing that’s acceptable to anybody… here is the status quo… there’s none who would have any tolerance for the expansion.” 

Eliot’s view is shared by more than 14,000 people across the Commonwealth that have signed a petition urging Gov. Healey to take all possible action to stop private jet expansion at Hanscom or anywhere because it is antithetical to Massachusetts’ efforts to rein in climate change.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Climate bill gives hope to opponents of Hanscom expansion

By Alex Chatfield, Trish O’Hagan, Lara Sullivan, and Kati Winchell

The climate bill just signed by Gov. Healey contains a provision that was not noted in the official summary but is profoundly important — an update to the Massport charter. From now on, Massport will be required to promote “environmental protection and resilience, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental justice principles” in its decisions regarding its responsibilities and the entities with which it does business. Massport’s responsibilities, currently limited to the narrow roles of promoting commerce and economic growth, will therefore expand to include climate priorities. 

This update is encouraging to advocates across Massachusetts who oppose the proposed expansion of private jet infrastructure at Massport-owned Hanscom Field (separate from Hanscom Air Force Base). Massport is currently working with private developers to build a 522,380-square-foot expansion in hangar space for private jets — the largest such expansion in Hanscom’s history. An October 2023 study documented that at least half the private jet flights out of Hanscom go to vacation destinations like Martha’s Vineyard or the Super Bowl. They are airborne yachts for the ultra-wealthy.

Massport’s and Runway Realty Venture Inc.’s proposal for expansion has generated a storm of controversy. Opposition has been led by Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere (SPJE). SPJE observes, based on an April independent analysis, that the proposed private jet hangar development at Hanscom alone could result in as many as 6,000 additional private jet flights annually, producing about 150,000 tons of carbon equivalent emissions every single year. If the expansion goes forward, private jet emissions from Hanscom alone could cancel nearly 70% of the environmental benefits of all the solar PV ever installed in Massachusetts and would offset the investment and hard work of many towns and cities to help the state meet the goals of its ambitious climate plans.

The legislation updating Massport’s charter follows EEA Secretary Tepper’s rejection of the developers’ draft environmental impact report (DEIR) in June. More than 1,500 public comments and over 13,500 petition signatures critical of the developers’ plans were submitted to MEPA (Mass. Office of Environmental Policy Act). Based in part on the volume of public response, as well as on independent analyses that were submitted, Tepper criticized the developers’ argument that the massive hangar expansion would decrease operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, calling it unsupported. She found that the report did not meet the requirements of Massachusetts law and directed the developers to produce a Supplemental DEIR that would address the many questions that the initial draft failed to consider adequately.

This was the context in which state Sen. Mike Barrett and Reps. Simon Cataldo, Michelle Ciccolo, Carmine Gentile, Ken Gordon, and Alice Peisch introduced language into the Mass. Climate Bill that would update Massport’s charter to prioritize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The Senate passed the bill on October 24 with a vote of 38-2, followed by a House vote of 128-17 on November 14. And on November 20, Gov. Healey signed it.

Sen. Barrett left no doubt that he expected the new language to prompt Massport to reconsider the project. “We live in an age where rampant economic growth is no longer sufficient as a raison d’etre for public agencies,” he said. “The governor has said that an all-government approach to climate change is needed, so now we ask of every single organization — Massport included — ‘What’s your role in fighting the existential crisis of our time?’” 

This is a pivotal moment. The legislature’s overwhelming support for a change in Massport’s charter sends a powerful message that the agency needs to align its own approach to climate change with the approach taken by the rest of the state. Massport’s first chance to show that it understands this new environment will be its stance toward the proposed Hanscom expansion. It’s already clear that that expansion is completely inconsistent with state climate change policy. It’s time for Massport to just say no.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Next steps on the Hanscom hangars

Editor’s note: The Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) issued a ruling on June 24 saying that the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Hanscom Field expansion project “does not adequately and properly comply” with Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) regulations. Five Massachusetts state representatives also sent a letter on June 14 criticizing “this profoundly flawed DEIR.” For more coverage of the latest development on this issue, see the June 24 articles in the Bedford Citizen and the Concord Bridge.

By Christopher Eliot

The June 21 MEPA determination that the North Airfield Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is “not adequate” was very good news but is not the end of the story. Our next step is to write letters by August 13 to dispute the most recent Environmental Status and Planning Report and prevent the introduction of planning assumptions that can be used to justify the next version of the DEIR.

Some background: every five years, Massport publishes an Environmental Status and Planning Report (ESPR) that defines the planning assumptions for a five-year period. The ESPR is distinct from the DEIR, but the two are closely linked. The recently rejected DEIR was based on the 2017 ESPR, but the 2022 Hanscom ESPR has been written and is now open for review. (Writing an ESPR takes two years, so the publication date is two years after the reporting date.)

The 2022 Hanscom ESPR is closely linked with the proposed North Airfield hangar project and will be used in the next version of the DEIR to justify the project. We need to write letters disputing assertions in the ESPR that will be used to justify the future supplemental DEIR. Public comments can make a difference, and you are encouraged to write another letter to MEPA on this subject.

Much of the ESPR provides good factual data, but there are three major problems with the ESPR that need to be corrected:

1. Chapter 3 of the ESPR reports historical and projected airport activity levels through 2040 including a compound grown in business jet operations of 1.2%. This is incompatible with the climate crisis. It may be a valid projection of historical growth rates but we need to reverse the growth of private jet usage. Our local legislators understand this issue and are prepared to help. The ESPR needs to reflect the fact that sane public environmental policy will reverse the growth of private jets use, eliminating the need for new hangars.

Chapter 3 also fails to discuss likely scenarios for the introduction of eVOTL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), eCTOL (electric conventional take-off and landing aircraft), and advanced air mobility aircraft (AAM). These new technologies might be an improvement or might have scary implications for residents near Hanscom airport; I don’t know because Massport has not said anything about their plans. This needs to be fixed. This technology is already being deployed in some parts of the world and should be discussed.

2. Chapter 7 reports on noise issues but fails to account for recent research showing that noise is a public health problem. It has been scientifically demonstrated that noise leads to systemic inflammation and causes increased mortality due to heart disease as well as learning problems and mental illness. The ESPR chapter incorrectly minimizes all of these problems and needs to be fixed.

3. Chapter 8 includes problematic descriptions of improved aviation fuels:

First, the ESPR incorrectly states that unleaded aviation fuel is not yet available. “As of writing, it is still unknown exactly when 100UL [fuel] will become a readily available resource at all airports” (page 8-37). This is not true: the fuel can be sourced from Vitol Corp. I called this company and verified that they are able and willing to deliver this unleaded aviation fuel to Hanscom Field as soon as they get a purchase order.

Second, in section 8.6.5 starting on page 8-38, there is a discussion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Hanscom Field. The discussion regurgitates industry propaganda about SAF that is easily refuted. The Government Accountability Office published a report last year that disputes many of these claims. More recently, Chuck Collins et al published a report titled “Greenwashing the Skies” that provided a detailed explanation of the problems with SAF as a solution to the climate problem of aviation. While industry wants us to believe this is a solution that just needs to be deployed, there are many fundamental issues in the way, and it is very unlikely that the promise of SAF will ever be fulfilled. In the meantime, industry uses the false promise of SAF as an excuse to avoid any meaningful response to their contribution to the climate crisis. There are a number of better proposals to mitigate aviation’s contribution to the climate crisis, so it is important not to allow the industry to pursue the distraction of SAF for the next 10 or 20 years.

The ESPR is extremely important in the debate over the North Airfield project because the ESPR is the planning document used to justify the North Airfield project. We should ask MEPA to require corrections to the ESPR while the comment period is open until August 13, 2024. Changing the ESPR to make more realistic assumptions about how community response can limit the growth of private jet travel will remove the primary justification for the North Airfield project. The developers are now required to write a supplemental DEIR based on the 2022 EPSR as a foundation.

As written, the 2022 ESPR provides a pillar of support for the project; your letters can help convert it into a pit of quicksand.

Comments on the 2022 ESPR should be sent to the same place as comments on the DEIR but should reference “Project 2022 L.G. Hanscom Field Environmental Status and Planning Report (2022 ESPR) (EEA #5484/8696)”:

Secretary Rebecca Tepper
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Attn: MEPA Office
Alex Strysky, EEA No. 5484/8696
100 Cambridge St., Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Eliot is chair and Lincoln’s representative to the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission.

My Turn: Sign the National Trust petition to fight Hanscom expansion

By Anne Sobol

On May 1, the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Minute Man National Park, Walden Pond, and nearby landmarks as one of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” due to plans to expand infrastructure for luxury private jets at Hanscom Field.

National Trust designations of this sort have been remarkably successful over the years in protecting designated landmarks. The Trust urges people to sign their petition to Governor Maura Healey and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg requesting that they do whatever they can to stop the expansion. The Federal Aviation Administration under Secretary Buttigieg could play an important part in how this turns out.

The developers seek to double hangar space at the field, adding over 500,000 square feet of infrastructure and trucking in between 10,000 and 20,000 gallons of jet fuel every day. Developers acknowledge neither the climate impact of the greenhouse gas emissions from the jets burning massive amounts of jet fuel nor the noise disruption of some of the nation’s most historic sites. Depending on their size, private jets burn between 330 and 550 gallons of jet fuel per hour.

Estimates of the number of jets that will be hangared in the 18 hangars range from 50 to 79. The most recent annual data from Massport states that there were 38,400 jet “operations” (landings and takeoffs) at Hanscom. This figure would only go up because of the private jets in the new hangars. An annual figure of 38,400 translates to more than 100 takeoffs or landings per day. Developers have said without explanation that the daily number will increase by 12 flights or using their figure by around 10 per cent. It could well be more.

The National Trust emphasizes the noise disruption to visitors to the national park and to Walden Pond. Private jets cruising in for a landing or straining to take off will destroy the peace and quiet of visitors walking to the Old North Bridge, walking on the trails in the fields and woods along Route 2A, or enjoying Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Please take the time to sign the National Trust petition on their website at savingplaces.org. Click here for the direct link to the petition.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

News acorns

Select Board continues fight against Hanscom proposal

The Select Board this week approved a detailed letter to the state that takes issue with the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on a proposal to significantly expand hangar space and make other changes at Hanscom Field to accommodate private jets.

The DEIR is “deeply troubling for a number of reasons,” including what the letter says are:

  • incomplete treatment of GHG emissions,
  • unsubstantiated analysis of ferry flights (empty flights),
  • inaccurate representation of the role of sustainable aviation fuels, and
  • misleading characterization of commitments to solar installations.

“We are forced to conclude that the proponent’s DEIR is not a serious assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed project, and that their claims are not backed by adequate analysis or fact. We therefore urge [Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs] to instruct the proponent to revise their DEIR to produce a more comprehensive and accurate environmental impact report,” the letter says.

Officials and residents from area towns and all over the country have been protesting the plan. The public has until May 10 to submit comments on the DEIR.

Open Studio reception and exhibit at library

Lincoln Open Studio’s biennial exhibit in the Lincoln Public library is now on display through May 25. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Thursday, May 2 from 4–6 p.m.

Arts and Farmers Market begins this Saturday

Starting on Saturday, May 4, the Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market runs weekly from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the green outside the Tack Room (145 Lincoln Rd.). the market will take place each Saturday until the end of October. New vendors from the community are welcome to set up a table to sell garden produce, arts and crafts as well as vintage and collectible items. There is no table fee, but it’s nice to tip the band $5 or more as they attract many patrons. Please bring your own table, tent (optional), etc.; you’re welcome to join as many or few markets as you wish. For more vendor information, email Bill Huss at billhuss53@gmail.com.

Session on parent-child communication

Join Lincoln Nursery School and local child behavior specialist Emily Barker for a conversation and Q&A in Studio Purple on Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at LNS at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Her parent-coaching business called Little Love Language uses a holistic approach as well as her signature tools to help parents communicate with and better understand their children.

Get ready for the Great Create

The Lincoln School Foundation invites K-5 students to complete creative challenges in the Great Create at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Sunday, May 19 from 1–3 p.m. (check-in starts at 12:30 p.m.). Working together in small groups, students will use unexpected materials and make connections between art and nature. Join us for a fun afternoon of community and friends while supporting the LSF’s mission to inspire and fund innovative teaching and authentic learning experiences in our schools. Register at www.lincolnschoolfoundation.org.

Battle Road BioBlitz

The Battle Road BioBlitz at Minute Man National Historical Park from Saturday, May 11 to Friday, May 17 will engage scientists, naturalists, and the interested public to survey and document as many species as possible within a designated time period. The 10 free events at various times and locations — including Amphibians and Aquatic Organisms, Battle Road Botanizing, Biodiversity at Dusk, Pollinators and Plants, and Quest for Uncommon Species — take place at various locations and times at the park; sign up for one or several (space is limited). Click here to register or view the entire collection on Eventbrite. 

Co-sponsored by MMNHP and Friends of MMNHP; the towns of Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln; the Concord and Lincoln Land Conservation Trusts; the Brookline Bird Club, and Zoo New England. Questions? Contact Margie Brown at margie_coffin_brown@nps.gov. 

Watering restrictions now in effect

Water use restrictions are automatically implemented from May 1 through September 30 each year, and higher restrictions may be imposed in response to state drought declarations. Lincoln is  now in Stage 2 (one stage higher than state guidelines, per the Lincoln Water Department’s Drought Management Plan), which allows use of sprinklers, drip irrigation and soaker hoses two days a week from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. by house number. See this chart for details on rules for all types of outdoor water use. Customers who are farmers as defined in the Lincoln Right to Farm Bylaw are exempt from these restrictions.

Water Department staff will be monitoring all sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the new restriction policy. A first offense will result in a $100 fine, and subsequent violations will result in a $200 fine. If any residents have questions, please contact Darin LaFalam, Water Superintendent, at email lafalamd@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2669. For further information on water conservation, visit the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ drought page.

Activists continue push to derail Hanscom expansion

Climate activists including a number from Lincoln participated in two recent protests against the proposal to significantly enlarge hangar space for private jets at Hanscom Field.

On April 20, protesters from Extinction Rebellion and other groups stood in front of planes to clock them from taxiways and also blocked the entrances of fixed base operators Signature Aviation, Jet Aviation, and Atlantic Aviation. Twenty of them were arrested, though apparently none from Lincoln. Two days later, activists held a standout at the State House and called on Gov. Maura Healey to denounce the expansion and align her office with the Green New Deal.

The protest at Hanscom, which involved about 40 people from eight towns — included Alex Chatfield and Dilla Tingley of Lincoln (see her “My Turn” piece here). The event drew news media (see reports from WCVB, NBC-Boston, and Boston 25 News) and a heavy police presence. He is one of the organizers behind Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hanscom or Anywhere, a coalition that has grown to include Extinction Rebellion and more than 80 other groups. Lincolnites also participated in an October 2023  State House rally on the same issue.

The protests arose after the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR — go to this page to download) submitted by the project proponent became public in late March. That statement asserted that the project would not result in a net increase of flights because many of them will allegedly replace “ferry flights” by planes that aren’t based at Hanscom.

The project proponent (North Airfield Ventures and Runway Realty Ventures) want to build 17 new hangars — down from the initial 27, though the total square project is still 495,000 square feet, including about 82,000 square feet of storage space in a refurbished Navy hangar. The project also includes four 20,000-gallon jet fuel tanks and one 5,000-gallon tank for aviation gas.

Letters of protest were also sent to the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) by Save Our Heritage and the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission, among other organizations. The DEIR is “inconsistent, does not support its claims, contradicts state climate policy, and ignores relevant scientific research,” HFAC chair Chris Eliot of Lincoln wrote in the group’s letter, which asks MEPA to return the DEIR to the proponents and resubmit with more information.

The HFAC letter cites an independent analysis by Industrial Economics, Inc., that disputes the ferry flight calculations and other claims in the EIR. “The proposed project will greatly increase the number of operations at Hanscom Field and the GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions associated with the facility’s flight operations. Due to the very small number of aircraft likely to relocate to Hanscom from other airports, the beneficial effect of avoided ferry flights would be insignificant when compared with the substantial increases in operations and GHG emissions expected from new aircraft based at Hanscom Field,” that report says.

Activists have also noted that the developers are only required to disclose the emissions associated with the proposed hangars and equipment, but not the GHG emissions from the aircraft themselves.

The multiple protests and hundreds of letters probably won’t be able to stop the project, however. EOEEA Secretary Rebecca L. Tepper noted in the document requiring the DEIR that MEPA (the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act overseen by the EOEEA) “is not a permitting process and I do not have the authority to approve or deny a project. The purpose of MEPA is to provide meaningful opportunities for public review of the potential environmental impacts of projects for which agency action is required, and to assist each agency in using… all feasible means to avoid damage to the environment or, to the extent damage to the environment cannot be avoided, to minimize and mitigate damage to the environment to the maximum extent practicable.”

The DEIR and other documents can be found here. The public comment portal is here (project 16654, login/registration required). The deadline for comments on the DEIR has been extended to June 14, 2024.