Editor’s note: This commentary is by Angela Manno, of Burlington, who is a visual artist and art instructor.
[T]here are so many reasons to prevent the nuclear capable F-35 stealth bomber from being based at the Burlington municipal airport in a densely populated area.
But the one that terrifies me the most is the risk of contamination to our air, water, soil and our own bodies.
First is that even without a crash, we would be at risk for all the mishaps, leaks and spills associated with military bases, as they are notorious for toxic pollution of their environment. Just read the extensive list of them in the U.S. and abroad. http://www.gmasw.com/ao_bases.htm. The Winooski River, which is perilously close to the airport, would no doubt be impacted and become the carrier of toxins throughout the region.
Further, the maintenance of the stealth coating, which is composed of highly toxic materials, requires multiple reapplications. The runoff, not to mention what gets released into the air is an additional source of toxic pollution.
Already, there are PFOA and PFOS, a suspected carcinogen in groundwater on the Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington. And because our air is so clean, the jet engines won’t be required to have extra filters, so they can just go ahead pollute our air. Think about that.
Secondly, the F-35 aircraft is slated to carry nuclear weapons and the rate of crashes of this aircraft are 11 times more than the F-16s. The result of a crash with a nuclear bomb aboard is, frankly, unthinkable. Game over for Burlington. But even without a nuclear payload, in the event of a crash in or around Chittenden County, former Pentagon jet designer Pierre Sprey warned that it would produce dangerous levels of highly toxic gases and fibers, due to the burning of all its plastic components and stealth coating materials. He suggested that such a crash would be “a catastrophe of major proportions” that could “potentially blanket blocks and blocks” of residential neighborhoods in deadly gases for days, likening the effects to a “chemical warfare attack” in Syria. What’s more, the chemical fire suppression agents are also highly toxic and are exceedingly hard to put out.
Are we to join the ranks of irrevocably poisoned communities because of a polluting weapons industry and bloated military? Are we going to be the victims of another boondoggle for defense contractors (remember just one helmet has a price tag of almost a half a million dollars)?
The precautionary measure is mandatory when we are dealing with human lives and this level of harm.
Every Burlington voter should vote yes on the #6 ballot item to request cancellation of the planned basing of the F-35 at Burlington International Airport, and request instead low-noise-level equipment with a proven high safety record appropriate for a densely populated area.
