Winooski area residents are once again voicing their objections to the F-35 fighter jets, this time telling a group of Vermont Air National Guard representatives that regular flights from a local air base have seriously undermined their quality of life.
Appearing Tuesday night at a meeting of the Winooski City Council, more than two dozen speakers complained that the planes’ thundering noise is affecting their hearing and mental health, and increasing their worries over what would happen if an F-35 were to crash in the most populous region of Vermont.
The speakers, all of whom expressed their frustration with the jets based at Burlington International Airport, addressed councilors and three Air Guard members for more than three hours, in person and remotely. The majority of those who spoke focused on their concern about how the sound could be damaging children’s hearing, mental health and ability to focus, and how much it is disrupting classroom learning.
“I have witnessed F-35s flying over Landry Park on a beautiful sunny afternoon,” Winooski resident Camille Clark said. “It was extremely painful to watch about 25 kids putting their hands on their ears and grimacing.”
The Lockheed Martin-manufactured F-35s can reach up to 115 decibels of noise, according to the Air Force. That’s almost the equivalent of standing next to sirens and can cause hearing loss in less than two minutes. Exposure to noise above 70 decibels for an extended period of time can damage hearing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s information on noise and hearing loss.
https://vtdigger.org/2021/09/09/winooski-area-residents-voice-their-opposition-to-f-35-training-flights/
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