Air, water and noise
WESTCHESTER AIRPORT – County officials are tackling key issues related to Westchester County Airport in White Plains by putting into place several new initiatives that were unveiled on Monday.
There are currently 22 fixed noise monitors to track aircraft noise, but the county has purchased 10 portable devices to more accurately pinpoint current noise issues. The fixed monitors may also be moved to other locations if it is determined to be appropriate.
The airport’s air quality emissions plan has been in place since 2007 and the county is looking to upgrade that given new technologies.
Westchester County Airport, like New York Stewart International near Newburgh, has a water contamination issue from the chemicals PFOS and PFOA dating back to the 1980s when the Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing was stationed in Westchester and before it was moved to Stewart.
The chemicals were used in firefighting foam.
Westchester Executive George Latimer noted the problem is not new.
“We didn’t create this pollution nor did our predecessor create this pollution, but we will make sure it is cleaned up,” Latimer said. “We would like the state Department of Environmental Conservation to be a partner with us because clearly we did not authorize the use of this and at the time these chemicals were used, it was not clearly understood what the polluting process was.”
The county is also going to issue an RFP for a new consultant to draft a master plan update for the airport; the last master plan was developed in the 1980s.
