AUGUSTA – In a prepared statement released Monday afternoon, the governor acknowledged that the Air National Guard had decided to postpone a public hearing on a draft Environmental Impact Study last week.
Governor John Baldacci said that he had learned that a planned hearing on Sept. 2 at the University of Maine at Farmington had been “postponed indefinitely.” This action was taken in large part due to a letter signed by Baldacci which was sent to the ANG headquarters at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. In that letter, the governor outlined the concerns of residents of western Maine, the Attorney General’s office and Maine Department of Transportation officials.
Today, Baldacci reiterated his concern that the draft EIS, a study whose creation was requested by the governor’s office, did not do enough to fully explore the impacts of altering the minimum altitude restrictions in the Condor 1 and Condor 2 military operation areas.
[Editor’s Note: Much more about the proposed plan, the postponement, potential advantages, disadvantages and challenges, can be found here, in an article written by the Bulldog last week. A copy of the governor’s letter can be found here. The draft EIS can be found on the MDOT site, located here.]
“The Air National Guard must meet a burden of proof,” said Baldacci in the release. “Based on the points that have been made by State agencies and residents, I believe the Air National Guard must do more work to assure me and the people of Western Maine that no significant impact will result from the proposed changes that would allow low-level training flights over Maine.”
A discussion of the possible impact of the plan was discussed Thursday, by residents of the affected region, house representatives and officials from the MDOT and AG’s office. The MDOT is concerned about potential safety issue caused by the proximity of military F-15 and F-16 jets and the many small, civilian airfields and aircraft in the area. The AG’s office believes that the ANG had not adequately discussed the plan with the National Park Service and the Penobscot Nation. Some residents, most of whom have been against the proposal from its development, want more in-depth noise studies conducted by a third-party.
No new date has been set for the public hearing.
