Critical: Ways to Stop SFO Expansion!

From: George Haye (geohaye@hotmail.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Thu Jun 03 1999 - 22:00:54 PDT


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From: George Haye <geohaye@hotmail.com-DeleteThis>
To: geohaye@hotmail.com-DeleteThis
Subject: Critical:  Ways to Stop SFO Expansion!
Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 22:00:54 PDT
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

JUNE 1999...............IT'S TIME TO 'JUST SAY NO' TO SFO
   SYNOPSIS: San Francisco International Airport’s proposed runways, as
planned, will cut Coyote Point off from the Bay. This would destroy Coyote
Point, probably the most popular windsurf site in California. All other
windsurf sites, including 3rd Avenue, Crissy, Waddell/Davenport, Berkeley,
and the Delta will be much more crowded. Below I list a few easy things that
we can all do that will make a big difference. Working together with other
concerned folks, including the environmental community, WE WILL STOP THE
RUNWAYS.
   THE SITUATION: The SFO Expansion as planned will have numerous
devastating effects on the Bay. The Airport is trying to fast-track the
project and blame all airport delays on the current runways in an attempt to
convince us that an airport located in Millbrae with no land must serve the
entire sprawling bay area. If they added these runways, "then what"? In ten
years, do it again? Increased freeway congestion to get to the airport will
eliminate any time savings from new runways. Real solutions? BART Tube from
SFO to the under-utilized Oakland airport. And, put a new airport where most
of the new growth is going to be: the Livermore/ Pleasanton/ Contra Costa
region. The opposition is growing daily across the Bay Area -- the
environmental ethic is not dead here -- which will really help windsurfers
in this case. Most windsurfers I've talked to are really concerned, but are
not sure what to do. The battle is heating up big-time right now. This is
the next Exxon Valdez-type disaster. BUT WE CAN STOP THIS ONE.
   SUGGESTED APPROACH: Plug in with the environmental groups that are
already battling the SFO expansion. Spend a few moments to stop the bay
fill. Then, go sailing.
   THE IMPACTS TO WINDSURFING: (1) Coyote Point and Embassy Suites launches
cut off from the Bay; Oyster Point and Flying Tigers may also be boxed in;
(2) Bay hydrology severely changed, resulting in: dirtier water in south
Bay; unknown impacts on mud flows and silting -- even the mud and sandbars
in the Third Avenue area could worsen, thus the project could possibly knock
out numerous top windsurfing sites; (3) No more ramps at Coyote Point,
retarded tidal action; (4) Airborne and waterborne pollutants and obstacles
during construction would give Coyote an even earlier funeral; (5) the air
pollution problem from the airport (fuel, burning brakes) that Coyote Point
now suffers from will visit 3rd Avenue to a much greater degree; (6) All
other bay area sites will be much more crowded. Etc.
    HOW COYOTE WILL BE CUT OFF: The June 2, 1999 San Francisco Chronicle
lists the ‘One Intersection Proposal’, which diagrams an additional new
runway extending out approximately 8000 feet further than the current runway
-- straight toward Coyote Point. That's one and a half MILES closer. (The
current 'finger' that sticks out from the main airport property sticks out
4,300 feet toward Coyote (NOT counting the birdcage / landing light piers),
but the new 'finger' would stick out 3 times that far -- approximately
13,000 feet.) LOOK AT THE BELOW LINK AND USE A RULER, THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHY
THIS IS WORTH A FEW MINUTES OF OUR TIME:
http://reality.sgi.com/mdf_engr/images/airport.gif
(Link posted onto wind_talk discussion group by Martin Frankel.)
   OK, SO HERE ARE SOME GREAT AND EASY WAYS TO HELP:
(In no particular order.)
[ ] JOIN SAVE THE BAY. These folks are all over this issue already. We can
work with them and we don't have to re-invent the wheel. Save the Bay is
currently conducting a letter writing campaign with their members to help
stop the wind shadow from the massive office buildings planned upwind from
Coyote Point. That's just plain cool.
Join from their Website: http://www.savesfbay.org/index.html
Check out their Threats to the Bay/ SFO Expansion link:
http://www.savesfbay.org/sfoexpansion.html
Phone: (510) 452-9261. When you join, tell them you're a windsurfer and you
want to make sure that Save the Bay includes 'impact to recreational uses -
windsurfing' along with the other impacts, in their outreach, lobbying, and
education on this issue. I have spoken with them and have given them an
outline of the impact to windsurfing that the SFO expansion would have -
they already know what's up.
[ ] WRITE A LETTER TO THE BCDC. The BCDC must approve the expansion for it
to go forward. If the BCDC finds that reasonable alternatives exist, or that
all of the impacts combined make it impossible to justify the bay fill, they
will stop it. Get on record as opposing the airport expansion by writing to:
Will Travis, Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Conservation and
Development Commission, 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 2011, San Francisco, CA,
94102-6080.
[ ] JOIN SAN FRANCISCO BAYKEEPER. BayKeeper and DeltaKeeper have won
countless environmental law battles which have led to a much cleaner Bay and
Delta for all of us to sail in. Extraordinarily effective and efficient, and
these folks have been reaching out to windsurfers for years. Join from their
Website: http://www.baykeeper.org/
Phone: 415.561.2299. When you join, tell them you're a windsurfer and you
want to make sure that BayKeeper includes 'impact to recreational uses -
windsurfing' along with the other impacts, in their outreach, lobbying, and
education on this issue. I have spoken with them and have given them an
outline of the impact to windsurfing that the SFO expansion would have -
they already know what's up.
[ ] If you're a member of the Sierra Club, call your local chapter, tell
them you're a member and a windsurfer and you want to make sure that the
Sierra Club includes 'impact to recreational uses - windsurfing' along with
the other impacts, in their outreach, lobbying, and education on this issue.
Webpage: http://www.sierraclub.org/
[ ] Let your voice be heard at one of the upcoming community forums on
this issue. There's a meeting near almost every major bay area windsurf
site, so you can show up with wet hair...
   Following is the list of upcoming "Airport sponsored" hearings. It is
important to note that they are NOT formal scoping hearings on the
Environmental Impact Statement. Therefore, they will be opportunities for
the public to voice concerns, but not official opportunities to influence
state or federal agency officials. Those are still to be scheduled.
   AIRPORT HEARINGS (excerpted from June 2 S.F. Chronicle Article)
Representatives from San Francisco International Airport, transportation
agencies and environmental groups will hold a community forum on the airport
expansion from 7 to 9 p.m. June 15 at the Center for the Performing Arts,
500 Castro St., Mountain View. Airport officials will also meet with the
public from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following dates: -- June 22 Palo Alto: Lucie
Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, community room. -- June 24
San Rafael: Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 330. --
June 28 Oakland: City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza, Hearing Room 2. -- June 29
San Francisco: City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400. -- July
15 San Mateo: City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave., council chambers.

Spread this e-mail, spread the word at the beach, and spread your own ideas.
It’s better than letting the airport spread itself all over our Bay.

If you don't agree, that's OK, at least consider the impacts.

-George Haye
Member: SFBA, BayKeeper, Save the Bay, Sierra Club

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