Vermont Gas to Pay for Some F-35 Soundproofing

A sizable donation from a Vermont utility will help soundproof buildings in three Chittenden County cities affected by F-35 jet noise, officials said Thursday.

Vermont Gas Systems will kick in $550,000 for Burlington International Airport’s noise mitigation program in fiscal year 2021. The amount covers the required 10 percent local match for a $4.5 million annual federal grant sought by Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski.

“When it appeared that our general funds … might be on the hook in some way for that half a million dollars or more a year, that was a real obstacle to moving forward with this program,” Mayor Miro Weinberger said at a press conference in Winooski, where he was joined by that city's mayor, Kristine Lott, and South Burlington City Council chair Helen Riehle.

“The hope is that this pilot [program] lays the groundwork for that local match to be the way this works going forward,” Weinberger said.

Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2020/10/29/vermont-gas-to-pay-for-some-f-35-soundproofing