Category Archives: F-35 Fighter Jet

Peace Walk Madison Continues

JOIN US AGAIN THIS WEEK for the third Peace Walk:  Saturday, APRIL 23th 

 

This week’s walk will be a longer one, a total of 5 miles with two rest stops along the way to allow people to join or leave the walk. Come prepared – and bring water bottles and snacks.  You can read about our previous peace walks here.

Senator Tammy Baldwin is receiving a personal invitation to join us.  We are sending her this document.

We are planning to start and finish in front of two private buildings that we think are possible residences of Senator Baldwin.  The intention is not to create a disturbance or show any disrespect to the senator and/or the neighbors;  the intention is to present our opposition to ALL wars.  As Farjad Manjoo explained in his recent column in the New York Times, we must stop showering the military with money.

SCHEDULE

11:00 amBegin at B B Clarke Park.$ After a land acknowledgement, we’ll have circle time with one minute of silence.

11:10 am$ -$ Walking across the street, at the intersection between Jenifer and S. Livingston Streets, we will stop in front of the house right at that corner that is (supposedly) one of Senator Baldwin’s Madison residences.

$ Here, we will again gather in a circle with our signs, banners, and flags, and raise our voices in one song.$$

11:20 am – Start Peace Walk to John Nolen Dr, where we will proceed west on the pedestrian/ bike path.$ Being mindful of other walkers and bikers, we will walk in single file, and on the grass when possible to keep out of the fast bike traffic.$ We plan to walk on the bike/pedestrian path all the way to the stretch of grass on the left of the path on the other side of Lake Monona.

2.1 miles $ $ 45 minutes

12:05 pmOlin Park convergence: Circle, song again.$ Walkers can join or leave us here.$$

12:25 pm $-$ Start walking again, crossing John Nolen at the intersection with Lakeside Street, going west.$ This is a very busy intersection, but there is a pedestrian light and we will use it. Heading towards Monona Bay, we will walk on S Shore Dr to Brittingham Park.

1.4 miles $ $ 30 minutes

12:55 pm – Brittingham Park:$ Circle, song again.$ Walkers can join or leave us here.$$

1:05 pm –$ Start walking again, heading back east.$ Reaching W Wilson St, we will walk up the hill.$ 2.8 miles $ $ 1 hour

2:05 pm –  137 East Wilson St:$ the other possible Madison residence of Senator Baldwin.$

Here we will gather again in a circle for a minute of silence and a song; we will follow the same intentions as observed in front of the other supposedly possible private residence.

2:20 - End walk

There are several bus routes going from the final point of the walk back toward the East side and right by our starting point.  Info on times are easily available at Madison Metro’s website.

Weather forecast as of today:  75 degrees, mostly cloudy (24%), wind S 16mph

Help us build a new community around Peace. Contact peacewalkmadison@gmail.com with questions.  Join the google group here for notices of future walks.

First Friday Film Feb 4: What’s All the Noise About? (Zoom Films & Discussion)

Two short documentaries, follow link for more info :

* Jetline: Voices from the Flight Path

* When the Jets Fly: New Warplanes Turn US Towns Into Sonic Hellscapes

Films & Discussion with:

~ Retired Air Force Colonel Rosanne Greco ~
Greco spent 30 years in active service specializing in strategic intelligence, nuclear weapons and arms control. Former chair of the South Burlington City Council and an active Unitarian Universalist. Greco has been fighting the basing of F-35s in Vermont for ten years.
~ Omar Poler ~
Poler lives in the Eken Park neighborhood of Madison and has been organizing with his neighbors to stop the F-35 “beddown” and protect water from PFAS contamination. He is a leader of Eken Park Resistance.
~ Terra Huey ~
Huey is the social media coordinator for the Sound Defense Alliance, a coalition of groups in Northwest Washington and the Salish Sea. SDA is recognized for getting Real-Time Noise Monitoring into the National Defense Authorization Act, passed last year by Congress.

Postpone Request for National Guard: 11 Jan 22 “Open House”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2022

Contact: Tom Boswell, 608/718-7312

 

Safe Skies Clean Water Asks Air National Guard

and Dane County Airport to Postpone “Open House”

 

Madison – The Safe Skies Clean Water Coalition has called on the Wisconsin Air National Guard and Dane County Regional Airport to postpone an “Open House” scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, at Madison College. The purpose of the event is to update the public on plans being undertaken by the Wisconsin Air National Guard (WANG) and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) to remediate PFAS pollution originating with the Truax airbase.

 

location  https://isthmus.com/locations/madison-college-truax-campus-mitby-theater

 

This is not the right time to hold this event,” the coalition wrote to Colonel Bart Van Roo, commander of the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax. “We are in the height of another public health crisis. Many of the families who are and will be most impacted by the water pollution and dangerous noise levels of F-35 fighter jets are not likely to further jeopardize their health and safety by attending an indoor event at this moment.”

 

The coalition is one of several groups that has been advocating for the Air National Guard, Dane County and the City of Madison – all designated by the DNR as responsible parties in the water contamination crisis – to be more forthcoming in communication with the public. But Safe Skies Clean Water said “this is not the appropriate time for this event.”

 

Representatives of the NGB and a Maryland-based engineering firm are to present information on the remediation process and progress to date and address questions and comments from the public. The event is scheduled for 6 pm at the Mitby Theater on the Truax campus of Madison College.

 

We are frankly skeptical concerning the motivation of the Air National Guard and Dane County Regional Airport for scheduling this Open House while the pandemic is peaking, the weather is inhospitable, the students and faculty of Madison College are on winter break, and the event was announced during the winter holiday,” said Safe Skies Clean Water.

The Air Force, National Guard Bureau and Air National Guard have proven to be toxic neighbors. Now they plan to initiate yet another assault on our public health by foisting F-35 fighter jets on an already compromised community that doesn’t want them. We are asking the Air Force and Air National Guard to be better neighbors. We know you would rather be protecting us from real threats like pandemics and national disasters rather than making war on us. We ask you to postpone this event and to halt the construction at the airbase until the site investigation and PFAS remediation is completed.”


 

Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin is a nonprofit coalition of residents and organizations in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin opposed to the proposed bed down of F-35A fighter jets at Truax Field.

For more,  safeskiescleanwaterwi.org 


“There is a problem.  Let’s put it on the table, get people engaged in it, hold polluters accountable and clean it up.”

  • Dr. Maria Powell, MEJO
  • Brad Geyer, Veterans for Peace, Former WI Air National Guard and US Air Force

WI Environmental Health Network: Forever Chemicals Wisconsin

Madison Environmental Justice: PFAS Related

 

Opposition to the Military Industrial Complex and F-35 Jets

Get a yard sign 

 

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SAFE SKIES CLEAN WATER WISCONSIN

An Overview

If you are interested in participating or if you have skills to offer such as writing, media, technology or communications, please get back to us at safeskieswi@gmail.com

Be involved, get connected.  If you can connect us with those who might be interested in funding our fight, contact us or donate.

DONATE

Legal Initiatives

1.       Lawsuit #1 filed, challenging the Environmental Assessment on construction at Truax, asserting that it was not legally prepared. Best case scenario: they would have to stop construction and do a a full Environmental Impact Statement.

2.      Lawsuit #2 filed, challenging Environmental Impact Statement on the F-35 basing decision, arguing that the existing EIS uses old documents and does not include new information, including PFAS evidence and stricter noise standards currently under review. A judge will decide whether the record can be extended, with a decision possible next year.

3.       An Environmental Justice Complaint is being drafted. The Air Force is not subject to EJ policies or laws (although it should be), others are subject to it: Air National Guard, Air National Guard Bureau, Dane County, Dane County Airport, and the Governor as Commander in Chief of the Air National Guard.

4.       Our attorney is looking into whether we can file a PFAS suit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) – the public law that creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.