Splaine: Thinking about Pease — what's on top and underneath the surface
In 1988, when the U.S. Department of Defense ordered the closure of Pease Air Force Base, the New Hampshire Legislature created the seven-member Pease Redevelopment Commission. As assistant mayor in 1990-1991, I was the Portsmouth City Council's representative to the body, which was the predecessor of the current Pease Development Authority. As such, and during more than a hundred regular, closed-door, and committee meetings, often in mostly empty buildings, I saw and had a role in that land's transition from military to civilian use. I learned a lot. I heard a lot.
The Redevelopment Commission began its work before the formal March 31, 1991 closing of Pease AFB. We needed the jump-start and quickly learned about Pease and its history and management. From the 1930s, the land that is now Pease Tradeport was Portsmouth Municipal Airport, which in June of 1956 became the U.S. Air Base. While both airports were well-managed, the high level of concern and attention to detail we now have about pollutants and environment matters wasn't, well ... didn't have the best of standards.
In one of our early Redevelopment Commission closed-door meetings, we learned that there was a lot of stuff — meaning chemicals and other things — buried under the surface. So much, we were told, that we may never know about or find all that is buried there. In 25, 50 years, we'll be learning more.
A major hazard was found on May 12, 2014, when chemical contaminants were identified at the Haven well, although the public was not notified until 10 days later. More about that delay another time. Since then we have learned more about the dangers of PFAS, and mitigation has been ongoing.
More recently there have been efforts to locate a massive cargo facility. While developers can see dollar signs with this project, one question it raises is why do we need it as part of our future, with all the resulting flights in and out, perhaps at night, as well as the likely excessive ground transport accompanying it?
And now, something called Million Air Aviation, a Texas company, wants a road through wetlands and a 90,000-gallon jet fuel depot. That's a lot of fuel. It's a lot of fuel that could someday leak. Leaks don't happen? Leaks happen.
Fortunately, attentive people are paying attention. Portsmouth's Jackie Cali-Pitts, a longtime N.H. state representative, along with others, has been attending meetings. Portsmouth resident Jon Wyckoff, chair of the Advocates for the North Mill Pond, said in a Seacoastonline letter, "Even though our Conservation Commission opposed this project, the N.H. Wetlands Bureau approved this permit. This is similar to Aristotle Onassis versus the Isles of Shoals and Durham all over again. We must protect our watershed and the North Mill Pond."
In an April 8 interview with Seacoastonline, Portsmouth's Andrea Amico, who has been an incredible dedicated, hard-working and core leader in bringing awareness to all of us of PFAS and other pollution at Pease, said “Our community has suffered a lot from the contamination caused by the Air Force, PFAS and other contaminants, and we still don’t have a handle on the long-term impacts to our community, the environmental impacts to our local wildlife and to our local food sources.”
When Andrea Amico speaks, we should listen.
Former New Hampshire state Rep. Dudley Dudley of Durham, and Dania Seiglie of Rye recently wrote a letter to Seacoastonline saying, "Storing and handling chemicals like jet fuel and deicing fluid on that sensitive site poses a large-scale risk that cannot be allowed to fly under the radar."
Let's remember that in the mid-1970s, it was Dudley Dudley and hundreds of local advocates who stopped the Aristotle Onassis mega oil refinery at Durham Point, with a ship-docking terminal at the Isles of Shoals. That would have forever changed the quality and environment of our area.
When Dudley Dudley speaks, we should listen.
We who live here today are only temporary guardians of the land. Putting the rush for development cash and their bank accounts aside, let's preserve what we can for those who, after we are all gone, will call this wonderful part of our planet "home."
Today's quote: "Those who forget their Pease history are doomed to repeat it. City councilors, select boards, community leaders and especially Seacoast residents must make their opposition heard." — Dudley Dudley and Dania Seiglie
Next time: Democratic National Committee decision delay is a warning for New Hampshire's presidential primary.
Jim Splaine has served variously since 1969 as Portsmouth assistant mayor, Police Commission member, and School Board member, as well as New Hampshire state senator and representative. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: Thinking about Pease — on top and underneath
