>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
IN TONIGHT'S CLOSER LOOK, THE
U.S. AIR FORCE IS DECIDING
WHETHER TO DECIDE MADISON'S
TRUAX LOCATION.
IT'S ONE TO THE 115TH FIGHTER
WING AND THE CURRENT COMPLEMENT
OF F-16S.
FOUR OTHER AREAS ARE IN THE
RUNNING ARE FOR 18, F-16
FIGHTERS.
THE AIR FORCE IS RUNNING INTO
CONTROVERSY BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
THAT FOUNDED THE CHANGE IN THE
NOISE ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED
WITH THE F-35S WOULD BE
CONSIDERED "SIGNIFICANT IN THE
AREA SURROUNDING THE AIR FIELD
AND THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS TO LOW
INCOME AND MINORITY POPULATIONS
AS WELL AS CHILDREN.
BUT SUPPORTERS OF LOCATING THE
F-35S SAY THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
HAVING THEM HERE WOULD BE
SIGNIFICANT TOO.
AND THE BASE COULD CLOSE WHEN
ITS AGING FLEET OF F-16S RETIRE.
THIS WEEK THE AIR FORCE
ANNOUNCED IT WOULD EXTEND PUBLIC
COMMENT FOR 30 MORE DAYS.
WE HEAR NOW FROM BOTH SIDES OF
THE DEBATE, CHRIS AERNS AND
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
>> FIRST TO YOU, CHRIS, WHAT IS
YOUR OPINION?
>> THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS
$100 MILLION.
SUPPORTING 1200 JOBS AND THE
F-35 WOULD SECURE THAT MISSION
FOR THE NEXT 30 TO 40 YEARS.
ABSENT OF THIS MISSION, I CAN
TELL YOU FIRST HAND HAVING
THROWN THE CURRENT F-16S, THEIR
SHELF LIFE IS COMING TO AN END.
IF WE DON'T GET A NEW MISSION
SUCH AS THE F-35, THAT PUTS THE
BASE IN JEOPARDY OF CLOSURE.
>> AND REPRESENTATIVE TAYLOR,
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?
>> THE AIR FORCE PUT OUT 2200
INDIVIDUALS AND 1000 RESIDENCES
ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED THESE
ARE VERY LOUD JETS.
THIS IS, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY
LOUDER AND THAT'S WHAT THE AIR
FORCE SAID.
THEY WILL RUN APPROXIMATELY 2300
ADDITIONAL OPERATIONS AND WE
KNOW THE AIR FORCE IS ALSO
TELLING US THIS HAS A DISPARATE
IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
AND CHILDREN.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT RACIAL INEQUITIES.
WE ALREADY KNOW SCHOOLS ARE
RIGHT AROUND THIS ZONE OF NOISE.
WE KNOW THE AIR FORCE IS TELLING
US KIDS ARE IMPACTED BY THIS
TYPE OF NOISE.
NO ONE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
STATEMENT DOES IT SAY TRUAX WILL
CLOSE.
THEIR OWN ANALYSIS SAY
OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE.
THEY POINT TO A NEGLIGIBLE
IMPACT.
>> WE WILL GET 6400 JOBS.
WHAT ABOUT THIS WHOLE CONCERN IS
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT THAT DID SAY THAT THE
NOISE WOULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
ISSUES?
>> WE BELIEVE THAT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
IS OVERSTATING THE NUMBER OF
OPERATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO
OCCUR.
IT EVEN SAYS THIS IS A MAXIMUM
POTENTIAL IMPACT.
WORSE CASE SCENARIO.
AS AN OPERATOR, I CAN BREAK DOWN
ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS, THE 6200
OPERATIONS.
PART OF THAT ASSUMPTION IS ALL
FLIGHTS WILL FLIGHT OUT OF
MADISON.
IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.
IN FACT RIGHT NOW, OUR F-16S ARE
DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN AND WILL
REDUCE 20% OFF THE BAT.
WE ASKED OUR INPUT TO THE
COMMENTARY TO GIVE US A MOST
LIKELY SCENARIO.
I THINK WITH OVERSTATING THE
NUMBER OF OPERATIONS IN THERE, I
AGREE, IT DOES WORRY I THINK
UNDULY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE NEED A BETTER IDEA OF THE
NOISE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THIS WHOLE ISSUE
OF AFTERBURNERS?
THEY TAKE OFF AND IT'S THIS
SUPER POWERED BURNER AND THAT'S
EVEN LOUDER.
IS THAT ACCURATE?
>> THAT IS.
CURRENT OPERATIONS WITH THE F-16
USE 60% OF THE TIME.
THAT INCREASES THEIR SPEED FOR
TAKE OFF.
THAT'S REALLY DUE TO WEATHER
CONDITIONS, ESSENTIALLY THE
HOTTER IT IS, THE MORE THEY HAVE
TO USE IT.
WITH THE F-35S, IT HAS A MORE
POWERFUL ENGINE AND ONLY
REQUIRES 5% FOR AFTER BURNER
TAKE OFF.
>> WHEN CHRIS ARENZ SAYS THESE
PLANES WON'T BE OPERATING AT
THAT LEVEL, WHAT ABOUT THAT?
DOES THAT SOFTEN THE BLOW FOR
YOU?
>> NO.
THE AIR FORCE WAS JUST ASKED
THIS QUESTION AND HE WAS ASKED,
IS THIS SIMILAR TO CURRENT
OPERATIONS AND THEY CAME BACK TO
SAY THIS IS THE NUMBER OF
OPERATIONS.
THEY DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF
OPERATIONS.
THEY HAVE REAFFIRMED THE NUMBER
OF OPERATIONS PREDICTED ARE AS
WHAT THEY BELIEVE IT TO BE.
>> NOW IN TERMS OF THE NOISE
LEVELS, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, OR
NEIGHBORHOODS, AREN'T THEY
ALREADY AFFECTED BY TRUAX AND
THE F-16S.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THESE JETS ARE NOT A LITTLE BIT
NOISIER BUT MORE.
IT'S ESTIMATED IT'S AT 10
DECIBEL INCREASE.
TO THE HUMAN EAR, THAT'S TWICE
AS LOUD.
>> HOW LOUD IS IT?
WHAT IS YOUR EXAMPLE, YOU
SUGGEST PEOPLE IN SCHOOLS AND
CHILDREN IN THEIR HOMES, WHAT
ARE THEY GOING TO HEAR?
>> IN MY DISTRICT, CARP PENTER
RIDGE WAY.
THE PEEK TO GET TO 114 DECIBELS.
THAT'S A ROCK CONCERT.
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL HAS 68% OF THE
KIDS ARE LOW INCOME.
74% ARE KIDS ARE COLOR.
THEY ALREADY DO HEAR NOISE.
I HAVE HEARD THAT FROM THE
TEACHERS.
THIS TYPE OF JET IS GOING TO FLY
OVER THEIR SCHOOL.
THEY DON'T HAVE AIR
CONDITIONING.
YOU CAN'T MITIGATE A PLAY GROUND
AND THE AIR FORCE'S OWN STUDY
SAYS CHILDREN CAN BE ADVERSELY
AFFECTED BY AIRPORT NOISE.
IT DECREASES THEIR READING.
>> HOW MUCH DOES THAT RESONATE
WITH SUPPORTERS BRINGING IN THE
F-35S IN HERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY, WHAT I WANT TO
RETURN TO.
WE'RE NOT DISPUTING THE NUMBER
OF OPERATIONS BUT SAYING THOSE
OPERATIONS WON'T OCCUR HERE IN
MADISON.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT IMPACT
THAT IS SHOWN IN THE NOISE
CONTOURS WHICH IS A DIRECT
RELATION TO HOW MANY IS
INACCURATE AND IS MUCH SMALLER.
SO WHAT WE SAY IS, WE DO NOT
THINK IT WILL HAVE THE IMPACT
THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
SAYS.
>> REPRESENTATIVE TAYLOR DOESN'T
BELIEVE IT'S ACCURATE.
IF THE F-35S DON'T COME HERE,
THAT AIR FIELD WOULD CLOSE.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE
CONCLUSION THAT WILL HAPPEN.
IN FACT IT'S BEEN STATED BY
FORMER SECRETARY OF THE AIR
FORCE, WILSON IN REGARD TO
BURLINGTON, VERMONT IF THE
MISSION DIDN'T COME THERE, THEY
WOULD LOSE THE BASE.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT