Details of Upcoming Bend Airport Deschutes County & City of Bend community Airport Commitments

I am a concerned and suffering community member. I KNOW there are others in the area who are concerned about the pollution load and some who are acutely suffering daily. Opinions and interpretations are my own. I am not a lawyer or trained professional so NOTHING I say or recommend is to be considered legal advise. This is a convoluted industry. Shared knowledge helps set appropriate expectations as well as develops a starting point for action.

Some of this is in petition, but here's a beginning to what I perceive to be real issues with current planning docs :

A FEW OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MASTER PLAN ACCEPTANCE DEVIATIONS AND INACCURACIES

Draft Environmental Assessment includes this language: "Unconditional Approval of the Airport Layout Plan to depict those portions of the Proposed Action subject to FAA review and approval pursuant to 49 USC § 47107(a)(16)(B) "

Unconditional approval of 2013 issues all the way through to most recent Master Plan with inadequate public inclusion and on through to 2032 approvals is unacceptable. This Environmental Assessment is also inappropriate for retroactively including projects listed on page 39,

"Determination that Environmental Analysis Prerequisites associated with any future Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding application have been fulfilled pursuant to 49 United States Code § 47101."

They most certainly have NOT especially regarding 49 USC 46110 Section 47106 and 49 USC 46110 Section 46110

"Proposed Timeline If approved, the Sponsor would initiate project engineering design immediately after completion of the environmental review process. Implementation of the proposed action would begin within one year of environmental approval, subject to funding availability."

Not without Assessment Title Change and then appropriate public transparency, inclusion per 49 USC 46110 Section 47106 and 49 USC 46110 Section 46110, and clean air protections per EPA's Title IV especially section 50, explanations, actualize real impacts with current studies, REAL CURRENT ACTUAL DATA and monitoring. Some of the data referenced in EA is decades old. Many impacts have simply been ignored, therefore unlisted and unaccounted for.

Some of the obvious concerns:

3.13.1.1 Light Emissions - This airport has farms and prime farmland in it's direct vicinity. Studies have demonstrated light emissions adversely impact crop yeilds and livestock. See City of Bend's, Dark Sky Initiatives. If it's important in the city, how much more important is it on farms and wildlife? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230308-how-light-pollution-disrupts-plants-senses#:~:text=While%20its%20impacts%20are%20still,their%20fragile%20relationship%20with%20pollinators

3.14.1.1 Wetlands - "2019 Bend Municipal Airport Master Plan Update Environmental Update" Skipped the required public notification and comment period process. "No wetlands were identified in the location of the proposed ATCT" It is undeniable an ATCT will facilitate increased number of operations. This is an inadequate dismissal of wetland identification.

3.14.1.3 Surface Waters and Water Quality - No impact stated.

3.14.1.4 Groundwater - No Impact stated. In Middleton, Wisconson, lead with the isotopic fingerprint of Leaded Avaiton Fuel from their airport was found in nearby wells. Bend Municipal airport sits atop rock and prime farmland which is either 'high runoff' or 'high infiltration rate' and with that combination one cannot conclude there is no impact without testing of nearby wells and water sources.

There are nearby farms, irrigation ponds, plus a canal which was dismissed reliant on runoff sloping away from canal. Based on EPA's 2020 NEI this airport is Oregon's #1 airborne lead pollution, weighing in at nearly a half of a ton. Add aviation 'cast off' practices, this does not adequately address runoff because 1) Airborne lead is more than runoff add the unusually heavy pollutant load 2) Snow transport - Central Oregon averages 8 inches of snowfall in December and some accumulation of snow in other months 3) Very high winds are common with many days reaching 40 mph 8 months of the year and reaching more than 50 mph at least a few times a year.

3.14.2.1 Environmental Consequences "No construction activities would occur and there would be no ground disturbance." How exactly do you build a road, parking and a tower without construction and ground disturbance?

3.14.2.2 Proposed Action Alternative "increase impervious surface by 33,000 feet' "more than one acre of land will be disturbed" vs 3.14.2.1

3.14.3 Mitigation Measures - "mitigation of water resources is not necessary" "would not significantly affect water resources" We are in a drought with farmers water being rationed and thousands of Deschutes County wells have run dry. This statement and proposed no action requires further investigation.

It is unacceptable for our elected officials to require our community to assume millions of dollars of debt, decades of being subject to FAA grant assurances and increasing environmental and human harm to provide conveniences to private for profit businesses.

We MUST have a robust community process to discuss and explain the other 250+ pages of this environmental assessment and incorporation other 2 - 3 Master Plans slipped through in a little over one year.

COMMUNITY MEETING LOCATION PROBLEMATIC

Holding community meetings AT THE AIRPORT where there are aviators who have relentlessly harassed us, lied, gaslighted and mocked us is unacceptable. These meetings should be held in neutral territory.

REASSESSMENT WITH ROBUST AND ACCURATE IMPACTS NECESSARY

The amount of noise, lead and pollution associated with Bend Municipal Airport must be assumed to be adversely affecting local physical health, mental health, wildlife, flora, fauna and ecosystems. This level of pollution has been thoroughly studied and is KNOWN to reduce childhood educational attainment, undeniably drives up hypertension, violence, fatal heart attacks, ADHD, autism, depression, organ damage and all cause morbidity and mortality. This reduces viability of our community, healthy futures, educational attainment and stability.

DECLINE FURTHER AIRPORT INVESTMENTS COSTING HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

I implore the City of Bend, Oregon, and Deschutes County, Oregon, to reconsider airport investment's and make a real effort toward transparency and inclusion. This far the process appears intentionally improper with inefficient environmental assessment which misleads while incorporating extras the community was not notified about. Please delay any further airport initiatives currently directed at increasing amenities for aviation benefactors while increasing noise, air pollution, road traffic, GHG's, fossil fuels, environmental, resource and citizen harm. Please redirect strategy toward increasing a robust, forward thinking, sustainable community and economy which does not measure success by increasing pollution, resource drains, farmland harm and environmental injustice. (See Earthjustice Top 100 lead polluting airports.)

REPURPOSE OPTION - ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS & INCREASE REVENUE

This airport sits atop more than 400 acres of prime farmland. According to the Census bureau you could fit 2,129 average home lots in 400 acres. Repurposing this airport could go a long way in reducing our housing crisis, stabilizing mental health crisis, as well as greatly increasing city and county revenue, instead of facilitating millions of dollars of debt and poison year after year, decade after decade. It is unjust to accept FAA grants which commit our community to decades of payments as well as pollution, grant assurances and maintenance which benefits only a tiny fraction of people, which has been estimated to be less than 1/4 of 1 percent.

UNJUSTIFIABLE IN A GLOBAL ALL SPECIES LOSS AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS The decimation of livability, habits, farms, soils and wildlife cannot be justified, nor can millions more in financial debt for an airport that runs at annual financial losses year after year. Our community should not have to bear the financial burden of paying off debt for an airport which many of said taxpayers don't even know exists, they don't know of more than half a ton of fine leaded particulate raining down over homes, schools, playgrounds and farms.

IMPROPER NOTIFICATION AND INCLUSION Taxpayers and impacted residents have not been appropriately included nor granted explanation, clarity and transparency, per Government Oversight mandates, NEPA process and Oregon land use and AG protections.

Taxpayers have not been engaged for appropriate community involvement, rather this whole process has either been elusive or had aviation benefactors tormenting us into silence.

Taxpayers have not been given notice or say regarding life altering pollution being heavily dusted over our 'outdoor mecca'

Taxpayers have not been notified of how much burden they are carrying to lavish amenities and extras on private, for profit aviation benefactors and those wealthy enough to have an aircraft.

AVIATION'S LEADED FUEL #1 AIRBORNE LEAD IN STATE As of EPA's most recent National Emissions Inventory in 2020, Bend Municipal Airport is the number one largest emitter of airborne lead emissions in the state. Lead is a potent neurotoxin correlated and in many cases causal to organ damage, including brain, heart and kidneys, adhd, autism, cognitive impairment, fetal damage, miscarriages, preemies, cancers... there is no living system which is not harmed by lead and theyre is NO safe level of blood lead. Studies have shown that the ultrafine lead particulates created by piston engine aircraft are so tiny that they easily cross the blood brain barrier and can cause tremendous damage without demonstrating elevated blood lead. Children within 1.5 miles of airports with less air traffic, lead and aircraft flying much higher than they do here, tested on par and higher than children in the Flint Michigan water crisis.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, HEALTH ADVISORY & PROTECTIONS There has been absolutely NO ATTEMPT AT INFORMING CITIZENS OF THE RISKS AND DANGERS & NO COMMUNITY PROTECTIONS from aircraft pollutants and damages fron aircraft resulting from Bend Municipal Airport.

There is: No ambient air monitoring No lead monitoring No benzene monitoring No black carbon monitoring No decibel monitoring

All of which are known to cripple, increase violence, hypertension, heart attacks, cause cognitive impairment and end tens of thousands of American lives annually.

LACKING STUDIES

There has been no study to confirm or deny changes in proximity to heavy air traffic, such as: 1) comparative educational student attainment 2) increased behavioral challenges of nearby students 3) violence increase 4) increased hypertension & heart attacks 5) increased renal issues 7) increased bone issues 8) increased cognitive challenges 9) decreased productivity 10) increased soil contamination 11) regular or even any blood lead testing 12) well contamination 13) air contamination 14) home contamination 15) decibel readings along heavy air traffic routes

NO DATA DOES NOT EQUAL NO PROBLEM

This is data at other airports and elected leaders have drilled down on and were horrified at the results. We NEED a thorough study of nearby impacts prior to ANY further addition to or acceptance of funds for this airport! It is absolutely criminal that NONE of this has been done or published!

RESIDENT PROTECTIONS AND PRIORITY

Iam aware of no financed home retrofits or aircraft retrofits to reduce emission impacts and most of the Bend Municipal Airport training aircraft are 50 to 70 years old with very antiquated emissions systems.

There has been no switch to approved unleaded fuel alternatives.

There has been no oversight or correction of how aggressively and abusively several aviation businesses at this airport fly.

There has been no attempt to identify or inform the public of how much irreversible widespread harm this flight activity can cause to humans, wildlife, habitats, flora, fauna or education's.

There is no data on who these hundreds of flight students enrolled at all times are. Who are they? What do they contribute to Central Oregon's future besides tremendous levels of toxins? Flight schools in Oregon have a long history of importing students, especially from hostile countries. Citizens of Deschutes County have the right to know if they are being subjected to life altering and ending pollutants for foreign interests and what benefit, if any our community receives.

DEFYING CITY AND COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUALITY COMMITMENTS Please actualize your stated mission and equity statements, values and goals and apply the science which demonstrates how your current investment strategy diametrically opposes diversity, equity, sustainability and inclusion programs and practices.

NO ACCEPTANCE OF GRANTS, NO TOWER, DECLINE ACCEPTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

I do not just oppose the this tower and the cost of staffing it, I also oppose the improper process incorporating runway extension, security fencing, parking, etc... which can only serve to facilitate increased air traffic.

--- Draft Environmental Assessment https://www.bendoregon.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/55931/638210615881000000

Other Bend Airport Documents https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/economic-development/bend-municipal-airport/airport-development