Press Release, 10,000 Hawks

In the same week that Tweed-New Haven Airport (Tweed-HVN) opened up its NEPA-mandated draft Environmental Assessment of its controversial expansion plan to public review and comment, the Greater New Haven Green Fund (GNHGF) awarded the East Shore-based environmental group, 10,000 Hawks, its highest level of grant support for the group’s plan to launch a community air quality monitoring project around the airport.

The project will deploy high-quality sensors strategically in neighborhoods around Tweed’s airfield. Special attention will be paid to areas under the flight paths for take-offs and landings, but also to emissions from idling planes. The analysis of local sensor readings will include data on ambient noise measurements and meteorological conditions.

In addition to the grant from GNHGF, the project is supported by Thriving Earth Exchange, a program of the American Geophysical Union. AGU-TEX connects communities in need with pro bono academic and technical partners to achieve science-driven solutions to local problems. For its community air quality project, 10,000 Hawks is partnering with Dr. Neelakshi Hudda of Tufts University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, whose research includes studies of toxic air pollutants at major airports such as LAX and Logan International.

Gretl Gallicchio, member of 10K Hawks’ board and one of several Community Leads on the project, said, “Tweed’s claim that an airport expansion will lead to cleaner air does not pass the smell test. Only accurate measurements of what Tweed’s operations are currently pumping into the air could allow for responsible decision making. Unlike many other types of industrial sources of criteria air pollutants which are regulated under Title V of the Clean Air Act, the airport is not required to seek permits for its contributions to our non-attainment air quality zone, or even to do any monitoring of its emissions. But the public has a right to know what we’re breathing, where it’s coming from and what its impacts on us are. We are deeply grateful to the GNHGF for their help, and for their desire to support the protection of the community’s health and the natural environment from the cumulative effects of air pollution.”

The project’s data, analysis and conclusions will be shared in a final report among all local communities, public health officials and medical providers, local and state government officials and agencies, academic institutions, allied NGOs, etc. The project expects to be up and running by early summer 2023.

Regarding the FAA environmental review which Tweed’s proposed expansion plan is currently undergoing, Gallicchio added, “The fact that it falls to the local community to monitor the pollution coming directly from Tweed’s business should be a signal to all elected officials--especially Mayor Elicker and the New Haven Board of Alders--that it’s time to call for a full Environmental Impact Statement for this proposal. Research shows that toxic emissions from jet engines directly impact the health of people across a 12-mile radius of an airfield. 10,000 Hawks’ project is only the start of the serious work which must be done to inform and protect our community. Everyone--even those who support the proposed expansion--should be eager to have that work done.”