As a resident of East Haven, I am concerned and disappointed in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) release of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed expansion of Tweed-New Haven Airport. How can they possibly rule that the building of a new terminal (which has to be built on stilts, no less), a parking garage for 4,000 cars, and a runway expansion have no significant impact on a fragile coastal ecosystem and the people who call these surrounding neighborhoods home? The construction project alone presents real dangers.

Tweed was built in the 1930s, the same time Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport was built. Recent soil testing at Sikorsky revealed so many toxins that it would take up to $19 million to clean it up. What toxins will they stir up during this Tweed project? This expansion will bring no advantages for the people of East Haven.

The bulk of this project will be paid for with FAA grants — our tax dollars. We are paying for an airport expansion for larger and more private jets, freight, and Goldman Sachs.

There are many unanswered questions in this final Environmental Assessment. As a resident who lives on Thompson Avenue, this caught my eye: “...during extreme flood events when the Coe/Hemingway intersection is closed, traffic could be diverted to Thompson Avenue.” Thompson Avenue is one of the oldest residential streets in East Haven. Also, what happened to the proposed fuel farm at Robinson Aviation? Will fuel continue to be stored in fuel trucks even as the airport expands? These are just two of the endless concerns that come with this project.

Please urge Mayor Joseph Carfora and our other elected officials to appeal the FONSI, insist on an Evironmental Impact Study, and protect our communities.

Katherine Bennett

East Haven