Truax Air Field & F-35’s

PSR Wisconsin has developed a simple handout on the “Health and Safety Concerns Regarding F-35 Fighter Jets in Madison, Wisconsin”. Download it here >>

Madison, Wisconsin, has been chosen as one of five potential sites to acquire a squadron of eighteen F-35 fighter jets. Why are we concerned?

• All F-35 jets will eventually have the capacity to deliver nuclear weapons. These weapons may or may not be stored in the Dane County Airport, but that information will not be made public. 

• Construction needs to occur at Truax in order to locate the F-35s at the base. However, the base still has PFAS contamination and the Air Force has not yet provided funds to study or clean-up the PFAS and other chemicals that have already been used.

• The F-35 will be four times louder than the current F-16s, and will fly 47% more often. This level of noise can have a detrimental effect on a variety of people including those with PTSD, autism, mental illness, and other neurological and sensory vulnerabilities. Children will especially be affected.

• A disproportionate number of vulnerable houses are occupied by low income and minority populations.

• The fossil fuels used by the F-35s are diametrically at odds with the professed desire of local leaders to address climate change and create a sustainable community. United States Department of Defense is the single largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world, with the largest portion of Pentagon fuel consumption being for military jets.

• Wisconsin taxpayers already pay $201.33 million per year for the F-35 project. Then more costs could reach the tens of millions to pay to relocate people and soundproof homes in the Traux area that are potentially incompatible for residential use. There will be no funding for abatement for the homes of the 60,000 people immediately surrounding that area, who will be affected.

Thank you Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin for leading this effort to stop the basing of F-35s in Madison, Wisconsin.

Action: Our US Senators can be influential

• Urge Tammy Baldwin to withdraw her support for the F-35 basing at Truax. Tell people you know who support her to urge her as well - especially those outside of Madison. She needs to know that her supporters strongly disagree with her position on this issue! Call (608) 264-5338 – Madison or (202) 224-5653 – DC or get more contact info.

• Contact Sen. Ron Johnson: Email or call (608) 240-9629 – Madison or (202) 224-5323 – DC

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTs

1. PSR Wisconsin has developed a simple handout with references on the Health and Safety Concerns Regarding F-35 Fighter Jets in Madison, Wisconsin. Download it here >>

2. Please see the City of Madison staff’s analysis of the draft United States Air Force F-35A Operational Beddown National Guard Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pertaining to the 115 Fighter Wing at Truax Field. Staff in the Planning Division, Community Development Division, Housing Authority, Engineering Division and Public Health of Madison and Dane County contributed to this report. View it here >>

3. Click here to read our comments sent to the Madison City Council on March 31, 2020.

4. Click her to read an op-ed from our steering committee members on April 29, 2020.

NEWS

• Dr. Paula Rogge and Dr. Bruce Barret wrote an op-ed against the beddown of F35s in Madison due to health and safety concerns (April 29, 2020). View here >>

• Dr. Beth Neary is quoted in this article about the health effects of noise. View here >>

• More than 1,000 homes near Truax Field could be “incompatible for residential use” because of heightened noise levels if a new fighter jet program is placed there, according to an Environmental Impact Statement draft report compiled by the U.S. Air Force and National Guard Bureau. View the article here >>

• Opposition To F-35 Fighter Jets In Madison (August 22, 2019). View radio interview and article >>

• City, Air Force to host public meetings on impact of F-35 jets (September 10, 2019). View article >>

Web Resources and Other Useful Documents

Local Sources of Information on F-35’s:

• Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin >>

• Wisconsin State Journal: “Marginalized communities would be most impacted by jets at Truax Field.” View article here >>

National Sources of Information of F-35’s and EIS Statements

• Vermont’s 2013 Fact Sheet on Basing F-35 at Burlington Vermont Air Guard Station. View here >>

F35 as Part of Nuclear First Strike Force

• “The F-35 and nuclear capability”. by Lt. Colonel Rosanne Greco. View commentary here >>

F35 and Noise Pollution

• The Executive Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is here, the full report can be accessed here.

• Map of decibel levels seen to the right (courtesy of Safe Skies Clean Water Wisocnsin)

F35 and Air Pollution

• “Not Just Noise, F-35 Health Is In The Air” op-ed by Denise Seigart, PhD, MS, RN, Wharton Fellow.

  View here >>

F35 and Water Pollution

• Tom Boswell points out that the Truax AFB has still not cleaned up PFAS chemicals on base that have contaminated city water and soil. View article here >>

Safety Issues with F35

• “Problems have plagued the F-35 for many years” by Jasper Craven. View article here >>

Cost of F35 to Madison

• The $1.5 trillion F-35 project will Dane County taxpayers $23.83 million each year!  Source and interactive data >>