"Low-income and nonwhite Vermonters account for many of those who will be most affected by the noise of the F-35, he observed. "Most people living near airports are those who can't afford to leave," Bloomberg said."
Also testifying before the health board, Dr, John Reuwer, a South Burlington primary care physician reinforced the availability to the Air Force of plenty of recent research demonstrating the harmful effects of aircraft noise. To bring the point home, he added, "there's almost no evidence that the effect of these planes is harmless. [emphasis added]"
No one has offered evidence that the F-35 is beneficial to a person's health.
The third expert to testify, Dr. Mark Gorman, a neurologist and associate professor at the University of Vermont, limited his comments to the possible connection of aircraft noise to strokes, calling it "a very murky area" while acknowledging the connection was credible.
Main
Vermont Media Fail to Inform
For an issue with as much local and national significance, mainstream media coverage was even thinner than usual. Kevin Kelley of Seven Days provided the most detailed (and only) print report, Sarah Harris of North Country Public Radio was alone with more than bulletin radio coverage, and television provided an unsigned, careless story on NBC-TV affiliate WPTZ. The rest of Vermont's media were silent, including the Burlington Free Press, Vermont Public Radio, and both the CBS and FOX TV affiliates.
This kind of coverage of a Tuesday meeting was not for lack of news value, or for competing stories of greater significance. As Chris Hurd wrote in his post-hearing write-up of the public health board:
"The
most revealing question during last Tuesday night's F-35 Burlington Board of
Health Hearing was posed by the Board Chairman to the two representatives of
the Vermont Air National Guard. The Chair asked if information about the
effects of noise could be provided to the BOH. The VTANG reply was a deafening "no'.
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