Sign On to Open Letter to Mark Levine, MD Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health

Stop the F-35 Training Flights in a city

As you will see below, 211 people signed on to this open letter, which is being submitted to Dr. Levine today, January 12, 2021. Further sign-on is now closed.

Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD

Dear Dr. Levine,

The Vermont Department of Health issued a report, “Public Health Review of the U.S. Air Force F-35A Operational Basing Environmental Impact Statement” (EIS) in 2012 which warned that repeated exposure to F-35 noise “may have the potential to cause noise induced hearing loss in humans” and that the “persistent speech interference” caused by the F-35 could affect the “linguistic and cognitive development” of children.

The Air Force had reported that 6,663 Vermonters live in 2,963 households on 2,252 acres (BR4-30) not “considered suitable for residential use” because of such F-35 noise impact (page C-12).

The Air Force EIS also admitted that the F-35 flights would have “disproportionate impact” on working class and black and brown populations in Vermont (page BR4-83). The massive racial justice mobilization here and across the entire country this summer cry out for action to protect these families from such state-sponsored violence.

The F-35 jets started arriving at the Burlington International Airport in September 2019. The training flights sharply ramped up to several hundred each month in April 2020. In the article, “Panic attacks. Ringing ears. Shaking walls. Happy 1-year anniversary to the F-35s,” VTDigger documented a vast increase in complaints submitted to the Vermont National Guard about noise: In all of 2019 there were 62 complaints. From January through September 2020 there were 665 complaints–a 1000% increase.

In addition to those 665 complaints submitted directly to the Vermont National Guard, three successive versions of an online Google F-35 Report and Complaint Form have so-far collected 1,065 more complaints. The graphs, and especially the heart-breaking in-your-own-words statements, provide undeniable evidence of pain, hearing damage, distress, and suffering from the high-decibel F-35 training flights amidst Vermont’s most densely populated cities and towns. You can see the full reports and complaints here:

o    F-35 Fall-Winter Report and Complaint Form (177 responses as of this moment).

o    F-35 Summer Report and Complaint Form (470 responses).

o    Spring F-35 Report and Complaint Form (418 responses) and here.

In addition, more than 2,150 people signed on to a petition to Governor Phil Scott calling on him “to halt the F-35 practice flights and mobilize the full Vermont Guard to stop the spread of coronavirus.”

Noise Measurements: Using a calibrated recording meter, a Vermont sound engineer measured F-35 noise on takeoff in the range from 110 to 124 decibels at locations in Winooski and in the Chamberlin School neighborhood of South Burlington. Those high noise levels explain the  suffering reported by so many members of the public.

But even more ear and brain damaging noise is yet to come: the F-35 takeoffs have not yet been routinely using afterburner. The Vermont Guard says that it will start using the F-35 afterburner for 5% of takeoffs, or between 88 and 176 times each year. The Air Force EIS states that a single exposure to noise at 130 decibels can cause “immediate and permanent hearing damage.” (page C-4). The Air Force did not say how loud the F-35 afterburner would be but data in the Air Force EIS shows that use of the afterburner added more than 21 decibels to F-16 noise. If a similar increase for the F-35, its noise could well exceed 130 decibels.

Threat from an F-35 Crash: The 2012 Vermont Department of Health report also warned of a high crash risk for the F-35 jets. With its flammable carbon composite body and stealth coating, which would emit thousands of pounds of toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic chemicals, fibers, and particulates in the fuel fire, an F-35 crash in a city would be a disaster. An F-35-B exploded in a fireball upon high speed impact with the ground during training on September 30, 2020. To their credit, the video of the F-35-B impact, fireball, and emission of an enormous black cloud shows that the Marines conducted their training operation remote from any populated area.

Vermont’s authority: While the Department’s F-35 report correctly stated that the decision to base F-35 jets in Vermont was federal, it omitted mention that the US Constitution reserves the authority of training the Guard to the states. This means that the state government controls the use of the F-35 jets in Vermont, and can decide to stop training with them in a city.

The constitution attaches only one condition on this state government authority: The training must be conducted according to “the discipline prescribed by Congress.” That discipline, codified in federal laws and ratified treaties, protects civilians.

The requirement to protect civilians is further amplified in directives issued by the US Department of Defense and US Air Force that require US military forces to conduct operations “distinct” from civilians and to take feasible precautions to protect civilians. For example,  US Air Force targeting doctrine prohibits “using an otherwise lawful weapon in a manner that causes unnecessary suffering.” Vermont violates that discipline each and every time an F-35 jet takes off in a city. How does the Department of Health authorize state authorities to act with such cruelty?

Demand for action: The F-35 training flights amidst Vermont cities are illegitimate: the health and safety of thousands of Vermont families is wrongfully being sacrificed. The state has full authority, and the Vermont Department of Health has responsibility to act to protect public health and safety. We demand that the Vermont Department of Health call for–and fight for–an immediate halt to F-35 training flights in any populated area.

Sincerely,

James Marc Leas

George Cross

Anita Rapone

Robert Spottswood, M.A.

Irene Wrenner

Kai Mikkel Førlie

Lilla Fortunoff

Marguerite Adelman

Liz Kessler

David Nacmanie

Zach Foley

Lorayne Lapin

Judith Bradbury

Chelsey Dionne

Sarah Parker-Givens

Gail WHolmes

Nathan Andrews

R Fettig

Josee Compton

Sharyl Green

Keegan Carter

Thomas Locatell

hailey ivey

Robert Thiefels

Deborah Altemus

john zwick

Kathryn Blume

Dylan Hertzberg

TERRILL G BOURICIUS

Laurie Sohrabi

Gail M Straw

Frank Haddleton

Tricia Gustafson

Wes carr

Bernice Vogel

Lucy Gluck

Eldon W. Carvey

Graydon Wilson

Barbara Wynroth

Liz Kessler

Deborah Pullin, CPNP, MPH

Sally Millichamp

Richard Olmstead

Edith Ainsley

Laura Hoopes

Lori Valburn

Andrew Simon

Brett Felter

Rosalind Richard

Vanessa Compton

Charlotte Dennett

Virginia Ramus

CARMINE SARGENT

Chad Thundercock

Tyler Samler

Hillary Gombar

Charlotte Riot

Meg Bronz

Anais Roy

Melissa Cronin

Sarah S Saul

Melissa Cronin

Stephen Marshall

Annalee Pratt

Robert C Areson

Rabbi Jan Salzman

Melissa Cronin

Charlene Wallace

John F. Reuwer, MD

Vaughn Altemus

Amanda Hannaford

Dru Lodestone

Susan Sullivan

Nykia Hunter

Sam Russo

Alice M. Evans, Ph.D.

Lola  D  Houston

Sophie Quest

Kristine Foley

Linda M. Ayer

Robert C Areson

Karen Ryder

Alec Julien

C. Clavadetscher

Lola  D  Houston

TERRY MARRON

Cara Montague

Doris Bedinger

Daniel Albert

Grace Chadwick

Joni AvRutick

Thomas Barriitt

Ron m Krupp

Lynn vera

Mark A Furnari

Tom Piper

Lori Piper

Mary Fillmore

Wendy Bratt

Jed Lowy

Sharon   Behar

Marcie Gallagher

Wendy Bratt

Charlie Giannoni

Wendy Bratt

Susan Kandel

Neal Kandel

SUSAN HURD

Janice Russotti

Fred Kosnitsky

Mike Webster

Paul Gittelsohn

Charlie Messing

Dana Walrath

Anthony Redington

Jane A. Hendley

Caryn L. Long

Deanna Anderson

Peg Boyle Simgle

Ron manganiello

Jeanne Keller

Milcah Harari

Milcah Harari

David Harari

Javier Santalla

Ruth Drake

David Schein

Dr. Millicent Eidson

Craig Fuller

Ann Wadsworth

Susan Ames

Martha A. Penzer

Julia M. Boynton

Vicki knoepfel

Marc Estrin

Barbara Luebke

Linda Waite-Simpson

Edward Malina

Robin Burton

Caryn L. Long

Nicholas Gray

Richard White

Mary Ellen Bourgault

Melinda H White-Bronson

Ace McArleton

Margaret Sherman

Linda Provost

Julia L Marks

Kris Hartin

Sandi Dincki

Rebecca M Padnos

Amy Houle

Josh Horton

Emily Tompkins

Kristen M Watson

Melly Bock

Danny Weiss

Rosalie Wright-Lapin

Laurie Euler

aly martelle

Josh Taylor

Nicole Fossiano

Susan Paquette

Jean Sienkewicz

Anna Fowler

Bridget A Edwards

Maarten van Ryckevorsel

Ada Morse

Richard Joseph

Madeline Graham

Jake Yanulavich

Karen M Sheppard

Erin Loughlin

Joni AvRutick

Sarah van Ryckevorsel

Alexandra Brooks

Susan Joy

Katharine Monje

Sharon A snow

Ted Olson

Debra P Chadwick

Kerri-Ann Jennings

M Anthony Apodaca

Bonnie Granger

Kate Cappleman Sinz

Katherine Wohlers

Leigh Hamilton

Anne Elston

Maria H Sladyk

Erik Leo

Terry Zigmund

Adam Hurwitz

Maura McManus

Sarah Miller

Suzanne

Sherridan Beyer

Ann Pearce

Jean A. Hopkins

Laima Harmon

Joy Yonan-Renold

Barbara Walker

John Bradt

Linda Patterson

Kate Morris

Ross Zipper

ralph corbo

Jeffrey Severson

Sharon Snow

Brandy Tougas

Diane G Shepler

Leanora M. Terhune