In a joint letter to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EAA) East Boston’s three elected officials, following a chorus of growing concern in the community to Massport’s plans to expand Terminal E, are asking for several compromises from Massport and the EEA regarding the project.
Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, Rep. Adrian Madaro and City Councilor Sal LaMattina sent the letter to the EAA and wrote about requesting the following four items to be addressed.:
- Massport to “quantify and explain the data to help the public fully understand the impacts on expected growth and flight volume, traffic, pollution and noise the proposed project may cause.
- Want another community-wide meeting at a centrally located venue such as East Boston High School, to provide further community input.
- Asking for an extension of Massport Environmental Notification Form, or ENF, public comment period until after the above mentioned meeting is held and the holidays to give residents sufficient time for analysis for the the three electeds and public.
- T he EAA to seek a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in order to fully comprehend the scope of environmental impacts such a large expansion might have on the surrounding community.
“With the information requested, in addition to clear communication and transparency, we will be able to establish a cooperative and collaborative effort between ourselves, the community of East Boston and Massport to address the issues and properly serve our neighborhood,” the three said in a joint statement.
The letter to the EAA comes after several community groups like the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association and the Eagle Hill Civic Association signed on to the East Boston Environmental Group Coalition’s request to halt further Logan expansion that includes the Terminal E project and a future project to add 5,000 parking spaces at the airport–a plan that would lift a historic parking cap at Logan.
East Boston Environmental also joined Grupo Ambiental Latino and AIR INC. to reach a goal of sending 100 letters to the state and Massport to subject the expansion project to further review as well.
In a statement from Massport’s Director of Community Relations Jose Masso, the Port Authority is currently reviewing the requests.
“The elected officials have asked us
Massport’s proposed plans to expand Terminal E, which will be done in phases. The map gives an idea of the scale and scope of the proposed expansion.
to do even more to reach out to the community and create a dialogue,” said Masso. “We appreciate the helpful suggestions in the constructive letter. We are reviewing how best to respond to the specifics. Our inclination is to try to do some things, whether we are required to do them by regulations or not.”