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• Logan Airport is the sixth greatest polluter in Massachusetts. The first five are all power plants.
• Airplane emissions are not regulated by the EPA or the Clean Air Act. 

Logan Airport

The Massachusetts Sierra Club has worked with groups from around New England to promote a moratorium on airport expansion until increased intermodal transportation planning and health assessments are completed. This would include a comprehensive health study of the effects of airplanes and airports on local communities.

Alternatives exist for airport expansion, particularly for trips of less than 400 miles, the typical trip length of many of the planes that are using Logan's new runway. Completing the North-South Rail Link in Boston is part of this effort. Completion and upgrading of the Northeast Corridor rail network means that high speed trains can offer a viable alternative to flying. See the North-South Rail Link page for more information.

2008: Logan's New Runway

Citizens sue FAA over air traffic
By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff | May 8, 2008
    A group of Chelsea residents, including a city councilor, has sued the Federal Aviation Administration, arguing that noise levels over the city have become intolerable as a result of the increased use of runway 33L for departures at Logan Airport. The residents contend the increased activity constitutes a change in runway use that warrants a public environmental review process that the FAA failed to initiate.
    In a complaint filed April 30 in US District Court in Boston, attorney Peter L. Koff states that "the actions taken by the FAA to change runway usage at Logan Airport were done without it making an informed decision." Koff, who is also the Cambridge representative in his role as a member of the Logan Airport Community Advisory Committee (CAC), filed suit on behalf of four Chelsea residents, including City Councilor Roy A. Avellaneda, and three residents from East Boston, Charlestown, and Medford. They are seeking relief from the noise as well as attorney's fees.  Click here for more

Click here for a copy of the lawsuit

Records of Decisions

There continues to be collusion between the Federal Aviation Authority and its dealings with the airports over which it has jurisdiction. It collaborates with airports to write EIS reports, works with consultants and then rules on the document.

FAA Approves Logan Airport's Centerfield Taxiway
From the Record of Decision in 2002, The FAA and The Massachusetts Port Authority have now cleared the way for a new 4500 foot Centerfield Taxiway which will be located between the two major 4/22 runways which are 9,500 and 10,000 feet. Mitigation Measure 3 From August 2, 2002, Record of Decision, Airside Improvements Planning Project (Centerfield Taxiway approval) April 20, 2007. Click here for more.

FAA Approves Logan Runway
The FAA announced its Record of Decision allowing for Runway 14/32 as a unidirectional runway with a 10-knot (11.5 mph) wind restriction August 2002. Airside Improvement Planning Project (Runway 1432) August 2, 2002. Click here for more.

What you can do:

Contact Senators Kerry and Kennedy and your congressman and tell them they need to speak out against the airport expansion plans. Ask them to support alternatives such as high-speed rail.

Contact the Governor and tell him that the Massport should not be embarking on an unnecessary and unhealthy airport expansion plans and to STOP the Centerfield Taxiway. The health impacts of this plan are enormous.

For more information:

Taxiway Plan Upsets Neighbors - Boston Globe

Wikipedia's article on Logan Airport

Massport and Logan Airport

Airport Runway Diagram

Satellite photo of Logan Airport and the Surrounding Community