This is your opportunity to send a message to Governor Healey’s administration, through this MEPA review process, to do the right thing – to use whatever means the Governor and Secretary Tepper have within their power to derail this egregious proposal which makes a mockery of genuine decarbonization efforts by thousands of people across our Commonwealth.

Make Your Voice Heard!

1) Check out this DEIR Summary

2) Draft your public comment using guidance from our TOOLKIT

The comment period closes on May 10th

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Guidance on Green House Gas Emissions and Climate Change – Jan 9, 2023

This relatively new guidance from a year ago, 1/9/23, provides a number of meaningful requirements for a federal environmental review, under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act). For example,

Developers must consider CO2e and not just CO2 (CO2e includes many climate-change producing chemicals, beyond CO2, like methane.
Developers must consider the whole GHG consequence (and not just emissions near the airport).
Developers must analyze the social cost of GHG.
Developers must consider state and local GHG reduction goals and plans, and determine if the project is consistent with them.

WHY is this relevant to our public comments now?

BECAUSE: A federal environmental review (NEPA) of the proposed expansion plans will follow shortly on the heels of the DEIR. If we insert the NEPA requirements into our public comments now, this will shed light onto the fact that they exist and will raise expectations that the developers must comply with them.

SPJE DEIR Comment Period Office Hours

Overwhelmed? Every Wednesday at 6PM and Thursday at noon until the comment period ends on May 10th. Come with your questions, or simply use this as a dedicated time to write your comment with some Zoom accountability.

See What People Are Saying

People across Massachusetts are speaking out against Massport and Runway Realty Venture’s reckless plans for private jet hangar expansion at Hanscom civil airport (not the Air Force base).

Remarks from our State Legislators and US EPA on the Developers’ March 4th Presentation

"I know the destruction you folks intend to wreak on Massachusetts and I resent it.... Please don't erect these bogus environmental rationales for something that has nothing whatsoever to do with relieving the crisis that faces us in terms of climate. Just be honest about it. This is all about becoming a little richer yourselves by helping people even richer than you.” - Sen. Mike Barrett

"...what can we say about what's going to happen at the vacated hangars in Plymouth and other locations? I think that one could actually take as true every single assertion that is being made here about ferry flights, and still come to the conclusion based on the basic principles of supply-demand economics, that this development will result in additional private jets being flown all around our communities." - Rep Simon Cataldo

"... all of my constituents are deeply troubled by the impact of the jets themselves." - Rep Michelle Ciccolo

"And it seems to me that there would be data about those number of [ferry] flights... And so as you prepare, I'm hoping that we will see that. It seems to me to be possible to get." - Rep Ken Gordon

"We've encouraged the entities involved in this project to coordinate with Air Force, Navy, APA and mass DEP regarding these sites to ensure that any plan proposed activities would occur in a manner that remains protective of human health and the environment and doesn't interfere with ongoing remedies or future investigations. I am not personally aware that this coordination has occurred in a robust manner." - Anni Loughlin, US EPA

See the full transcript from the March 4th Developer Public Meeting here

“These private jets are dinosaurs and they’re dinosaurs because they put so much carbon in the air they undermine our other efforts to keep GHG out of the air and from polluting the planet.... The time has come to pull back on private jets” - Rep Carmine Gentile

Listen to Rep Gentile’s full comments from the 2/20/24 meeting here

See additional statements from Legislators and others here

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Commission Says Hangar Project Unworthy of Historic Tax Credits ∙ The Bedford Citizen ∙ Mike Rosenberg ∙ 4/2/2024

Navy Reports on Continuing Efforts to Restore Contaminated Land ∙ The Bedford Citizen ∙ Mike Rosenberg ∙ 4/2/2024
Healey’s BPL Visit Draws Picket Over Massport Private-Jet Plan ∙ Fenway News ∙ Leslie Pond ∙ 4/2024
Our March 6th Webinar with Naomi Oreskes and the latest campaign updates ∙ 3/6/24
Developers’ Presentation at Middlesex Community College - Hear Sen. Barrett blast Massport ∙ 3/4/24

UPCOMING EVENTS and ACTION OPPORTUNITIES

Standouts & Demonstrations

Join us and meet community members as we raise awareness in opposition to private jet expansion at Hanscom or anywhere.

Hanscom Field Demonstrations 8-9AM on Fridays

On Friday mornings, we demonstrate at the entrance to Hanscom Field at the intersection of Hanscom Drive and Old Bedford Road.

Please reach out to adchat@aol.com to RSVP so we can notify you if we are canceling due to inclement weather.

Bedford Standouts

Join us for a public Stand Out in Bedford to oppose private jet expansion at Hanscom or anywhere. We will have some signs – or make/bring your own. Meet at Veterans Memorial Park at 160 Great Road (across street from Whole Foods plaza) where we will stand in solidarity with signs as people pass by. Encourage others to join us as we rally to Stop Private Jet Expansion. For questions, email: info.ma.bedford@mothersoutfront.org

Where: Veterans Memorial Park across from Bank of America 160 Great Road Bedford, MA 01730

When: Thursdays scheduled as follows:

April 25, 8-9 am: RSVP | May 2, 4-5 pm: RSVP | May 9, 8-9 am: RSVP

Lexington Standouts

Depot Square
Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30: April 23 RSVP | April 30 RSVP

Corner of Mass Ave & Pleasant St
Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30: April 24 RSVP

Our Upcoming Events

4/24/24, 5PM: Phone banking with Sierra Club Massachusetts. RSVP here to call Sierra Club MA members and supporters to talk about the SPJE campaign and ask them to submit a public comment using the DEIR Comment Toolkit as a guide.

Partner Events

If you are able to represent SPJE and table at any of these events, please contact us at info@stopprivatejetexpansion.org and we can support you!

April 23, 2024, 7:00 - 8:30 pm Stop Private Jet Expansion with guest speaker Rick Johnson, former attorney for the EPA , Bedford Mothers Out Front Chapter Meeting (Zoom) - RSVP HERE