An urgent 2-sentence petition. Please sign and Share!! Facts and Background below. Thanks!

PETITION

The undersigned urge the Federal Aviation Administration, in accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act, to undertake an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will thoroughly review the environmental and public health impacts of the massive expansion of Tweed New Haven Airport now underway.

Furthermore, the public must be involved in establishing the scope of the EIS study; and local, regional, state and federal representatives must all be engaged in the full EIS review process.

FACTS

• Increased particulate matter from jet engine emissions increases asthma rates and decreases life expectancy of residents within 12.5 miles -- from Milford to Madison, Bethany to Wallingford.
• Destruction of wetlands violates US and CT laws, harms wildlife, and reduces property values.
• Paving extended runway, terminal, & parking makes us less climate resilient.
• Parking, traffic & noise degrade local quality of life, neighborhoods.
• Privatization of a public resource ensures profits for absentee owners and subjects CT taxpayers to downside risk if airport flops.

BACKGROUND

1. Tweed Airport Authority has expanded operations substantially in 2022 and now awaits a preliminary environmental assessment of its plans for a massive expansion -- to extend the runway to 6,635 feet for now (comparable to LaGuardia), build a terminal the size of two football fields, and add 1,500 parking places - paving wetlands equivalent to six football fields in surface area.   
2. The US Federal Aviation Administration will review the assessment and determine whether to: i) approve construction immediately; ii) nix expansion; or iii) require that a more thorough and scientifically rigorous Environmental Impact Statement be conducted by the federal and state agencies.   
3. Our elected leaders in Congress have thus far supported a Yale- and Wall Street-backed privatization of a public resource certain to do major harms to our region and our people. They have not asked the tough questions or pressed the FAA to do the right things.
4. Critically, our FAA and our elected leaders need to hear your voices-- in October thru December -- to hear your concerns about harms to our health. ecology, and livelihoods.
5. Our representatives can increase pressure on the FAA to opt for an Environmental Impact Statement, which enables a complete environmental review AND buys time to engage the public on the many severe harms that such a massive expansion of Tweed would do to the greater New Haven region and its inhabitants.