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Date: 8/11/2022
WESTFIELD – The Department of the Air Force is preparing an economic impact statement and conducting two public scoping sessions later this month to assess a potential upgrade of the 104th Fighter Wing’s fleet of F-15s at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
An in-person scoping hearing is slated for Aug. 18 and a virtual hearing will take place Aug. 24, according to a July 19 notice in the Federal Register.
The 104th Fighter Wing has been outfitted with a fleet of F-15C Eagles since 2007, replacing the A-10 Thunderbolts that had been stationed there since 1979. Fifteen years later, the 104th is pushing to host the next generation of fighter aircraft.
Barnes officials have been trying to get the base to host either the F-15EX or the F-35A, both of which are considered to be among the most advanced military aircraft ever made. The Air National Guard intends to host the F-15EX at two bases, with Barnes competing for the jets with Fresno Air National Guard Base in California, and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in Louisiana. The F-35A will be placed in one base out of a pool of four, including the three F-15EX candidates as well as Naval Air Station Lemoore in California.
According to the official notice of environmental impact from the Air Force, the plan is “to replace aging F-15C/D aircraft currently utilized by the Air National Guard with the state-of-the-art fighter aircraft to better address future mission requirements, offer expanded capability, and provide life-cycle cost savings in comparison to continued operation of existing F-15C/D aircraft. The proposed action is needed because the F-15C/D aircraft are reaching the end of their service life. It is not economically feasible to retain the F-15C/D aircraft beyond fiscal year 2026 and the Department of the Air Force has already begun to retire aircraft that have reached the end of their serviceability.”
Should Barnes be selected to host either aircraft model, it will receive one squadron of 21 planes and several backup aircraft.
In the environmental impact statement, officials will look at the potential impacts from either type of plane on the surrounding environment, noise levels, water resources, land use, and use of hazardous materials, among many other factors. A draft impact statement is expected by summer 2023, and the final impact statement is expected by spring 2024.
The informational meetings on the environmental impact statement are 5-7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Westfield Intermediate School, 350 Southampton Rd., Westfield, and online at www.angf15ex-f35a-eis.com, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 24. At both sessions, project team members will be available to answer questions. Those who wish to ask questions at the virtual meeting must submit them by Aug. 15 at www.angf15ex-f35a-eis.com/question-form-virtual-scoping-meeting.
Written comments can be sent until Sept. 2 to NGB.A4.A4A.NEPA.COMMENTS.org@us.af.mil, or EIS Project Manager, National Guard Bureau, NGB/A4AM, Shepperd Hall, 3501 Fetchet Ave., Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762-5157.
Later in the fall, residents near the airport will have a chance to give input on the planned update to the noise compatibility program. Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport Manager Chris Willenborg said that noise compatibility hearings will take place in October or November, and public input and comments will be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration early this winter. He said a consulting team is finishing the draft document that will be presented at the hearings.
Willenborg said that there will be focus in this version of the program on soundproofing homes within the zones most impacted by noise from aircraft at Barnes, in part by giving eligible homes better doors and windows that block sound better.
The most recent update to the noise compatibility program at Barnes was in 2015.