Winooski residents want to join in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Air Force’s decision to base F-35 fighter jets with the Vermont Air National Guard by 2020.
Residents voted 572-475 on Tuesday in support of a nonbinding referendum advising the city to join anti-F-35 activists, of which four are Winooski residents, in a lawsuit challenging the Pentagon’s environmental review of its 2013 decision to base 18 F-35s with the Vermont Air National Guard at nearby Burlington International Airport.
Vermont’s congressional delegation, Gov. Peter Shumlin and the city of Burlington support basing the fighting jet with the Air Guard, but F-35 opponents have fought for years to block their arrival. The jets are considered to be louder than the current F-16s, according to the Air Force, affecting more than 2,000 residents.
In June, a group of residents and a citizens group filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Burlington alleging that the Air Force failed to fully review the environmental impact of the new aircraft. They claim it is a violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act.
Winooski Mayor-elect Seth Leonard said the city will do its legal homework to better understand the lawsuit, including how much it will cost. He did not have a timeline in mind for when the city council would decide whether to join the lawsuit.
“We were given something by the voters and now it’s our jobs to get our arms wrapped around it,” Leonard said Wednesday.
Voters also approved $7,500 as a payment for legal services related to the lawsuit.
According to the Air Force, basing 18 fighter jets in Burlington will expose 2,061 new people to noise levels considered unsuitable for residential use by the Federal Aviation Administration — a day-night average sound levels of at least 65 decibels.
According to the Air Force study, 37 percent of those affected are low-income or minority residents. Opponents say the basing will put 562 subsidized Winooski housing units within a noise zone exceeding 65 decibels.
The Air Force said no historic properties would be affected by the basing in South Burlington, though two historic sites would be exposed to noise levels 65 decibels or greater. The lawsuit alleges the Air Force failed to identify all the historic sites.
