East Haven Mayor, Save The Sound To Appeal FAA's Tweed Expansion OK

NEW HAVEN, CT — In late December 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration found "no significant impact" in Tweed New Haven Airport's decades-long debated and controversial, runway extension and also its $100 million terminal expansion project.

The FAA’s decision comes in the form of a "Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision,” which is the standard process the FAA uses for issuing its determination on environmental assessments.

First explored in the 2021 Master Plan, and then announced in 2021 in partnership with Avports, the changes at Tweed New Haven Airport are "designed to support more convenient and affordable flights to more destinations for southern Connecticut flyers, while also growing jobs in the region," Authority officials said, adding the FAA decision allows the project to "move into a new phase which will include design work for both the runway and terminal as well as obtaining various regulatory approvals and associated permits."

The draft environmental assessment, which was submitted to the FAA in March 2023, was conducted by HVN with the support of national aviation consulting firm McFarland Johnson. The environmental assessment process included multiple public meetings and public comment period, allowing the public to learn more about the proposed project and to provide input.
In the final Environmental Assessment, the Airport Authority makes clear that the planned project would improve the airport’s future environmental impact, including:

• Reducing noise by reducing the number of total necessary flights and shifting aircraft ground noise further from residences.

• Reducing impact on air quality when compared to a future in which no improvements are made to the airport.
• Building a new terminal that is within the footprint of a closed runway and taxiway field, and which minimizes impact on undisturbed wetlands.
• Keeping impact to wildlife and plant life below all federal and local thresholds (the project site contains no critical habitats for threatened or endangered species).
• Mitigating the impact of current driver experience as studied across 11 key local intersections.

The Tweed New Haven Airport Authority noted in December that the FAA's formal review of the airport’s Environmental Assessment, and decision approving the airport's terminal build plan and extended runway project, is a “major milestone.”

Not so fast, some state and municipal officials and environmental groups and agencies, who announced Tuesday plans to appeal the FAA ruling.

East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora

Let me be clear, I stated almost immediately after the FAA issued the FONSI that the FAA presented us with no option other than to file an appeal. (CT Examiner, January 2024) We had been speaking with appellate counsel at Pullman & Comley in anticipation of the release by the FAA, so that if a FONSI was issued the Town would be prepared to take all necessary steps. The formal planning meetings started almost immediately after the December 22, 2023 FAA release. This is not a small undertaking. It is a legal endeavor that needs to be thoroughly researched, and meticulously prepared.

As I indicated in my release on December 22, I am disappointed with the FAA’s decision. The proposed action will have a significant impact on our community across the board- in areas that our experts outlined in exhaustive detail throughout the Town’s submission to the draft EA in March. It shocks the conscience to reason that placing a close to 200-million-dollar facility in the middle of wetlands, plus approximately 6000 parking spaces that will be at or below sea level, will not have a significant impact.

Nothing that was presented by this decision is fair, safe or equitable. It in no way addresses the host of issues that a project of this magnitude presents to our community. As I stated previously, an EIS is required. The FAA has presented us with no other option but to appeal this decision.
The town has spent a significant amount of money on experts and legal representation-- to date. What is another point of frustration to me is that many of the obstacles and battles that we face today are a product of my predecessor and his administration not being engaged in any fashion in the planning stages and development of the Master Plan. But like so many issues that were dropped on my administration, we will continue to responsibly move forward with the best interests of our taxpayers in mind.

The Town will file a timely appeal. The legal reasons for the appeal will be made public once our filing is made.

East Haven State Rep. Joe Zullo (R, 99)

The Town’s decision to appeal the Federal Aviation Administration’s ‘finding of no significant impact’ is a welcome one and it sends a clear message that I enthusiastically endorse: ‘We’re not backing down!’

The FAA’s decision defied common sense and appeared to ignore the over nine hundred (900) pieces of testimony that were submitted with respect to the Environmental Assessment (EA) and in finding that there would be no significant impacts from the proposed expansion of runway 09-20 at Tweed Airport, the construction of an 80,000 square foot east terminal, the construction of a new apron at the east terminal, and the construction of approximately 4,000 new parking spaces.

As I have stated in the past, I recognize that there are many who see the airport’s proposal as an economic driver for greater New Haven and for the State of Connecticut. I appreciate the need to continue to grow our economy. However, that growth cannot, should not, and will not come at the expense of the people of East Haven. A “fair outcome” on Tweed means a fair outcome for all stakeholders.

It is unfortunate that the Town is now being forced to expend time and financial resources to seek a fair adjudication on this issue, particularly when it could and should have been properly evaluated by the FAA. However, it’s failure to equitably address the issues raised by the Town and stakeholders affected by the airport’s proposed expansion left the Town no choice but to seek a more equitable treatment of the issues on appeal.

Tonight, I stand with Mayor Carfora and other local and State leaders and lend my voice to the chorus of people who continue to make it clear that “we’re not backing down!” The future of Tweed is of generational importance to the Town of East Haven and residents can count on me to continue to work with leaders at all levels to ensure that all appropriate resources are utilized to protect and preserve our quality of life.”

Save the Sound

Save the Sound will appeal the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision accepting the Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the proposed expansion of Tweed New Haven Airport, the New Haven-based environmental organization announced Tuesday evening.

On December 21, 2023, the FAA issued a final decision approving an EA finding that the proposed Runway 02-20 Extension and Terminal Expansion project at Tweed New Haven Airport would have no significant environmental impacts and declined to require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Save the Sound had previously submitted comments to the FAA addressing the Draft Environmental Assessment’s substantial flaws and calling on the FAA to complete a full EIS. Numerous other concerned parties, including municipalities, residents, and federal and state governmental agencies, submitted similar comments. The Final Environmental Assessment addressed few, if any, of the concerns raised and made no meaningful changes.

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 46110, Save the Sound will be appealing the FAA’s decision to finalize the Tweed Airport Expansion’s woefully inadequate EA and its failure to require a full EIS under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Roger Reynolds, senior legal director at Save the Sound, said, “This failure to study the true impacts on the community is an environmental injustice to the surrounding neighborhoods. As we have been saying for two years, this project demands the greater scrutiny of an Environmental Impact Statement. The gross inadequacies have been pointed out throughout the process not only by Save the Sound but by the EPA, the Department of Health and Human Services, CT DEEP, the Town of East Haven, multiple environmental organizations, and the neighbors who will be directly affected. The environmental assessment was widely criticized as fundamentally deficient, but the FAA’s ‘finding of no significant impact’ failed to remedy these shortcomings, and instead accepted the severely flawed document almost in its totality. Given this disregard, and the significant impacts to air quality, wetland destruction, water quality degradation, and flooding that the proposed expansion may entail, we have no choice but to appeal the decision.”

Deficiencies in the EA previously noted by Save the Sound and others include that the EA (1) failed to consider the true impacts to environmental justice, air quality, wildlife, and water quality because they failed to discuss the reasonably foreseeable increase in demand for airline and cargo services due to the expanded runway, parking, and terminal; (2) failed to analyze the impact on tidal wetlands because they failed to consider the reasonably foreseeable cumulative impact of taxiways which will be a necessary safety feature of the extended runway; (3) failed to meaningfully consider water quality impacts and potential mitigation; (4) failed to meaningfully consider specific wetland mitigation; and (5) failed to meaningfully analyze the flood control consequences of the project.

Most remarkably, the EA concludes that expanding the airport will be better for air quality than not expanding the airport, based on an assumption that expanding the airport's capacity will not increase passenger demand for flights. Under this assumption, the EA notes that using larger aircraft means fewer planes will be needed to cover passenger demand, and that fewer planes mean lesser impacts. The whole point of the expansion, however, including a vastly expanded parking lot, is to increase the airport’s use. The increased capacity will logically lead to more flights (both passenger and freight) from larger airplanes which will worsen air quality and increase environmental impacts.

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