Urgent: 24 Military Blackhawk Helicopters Coming To SF: Event Alert

From Mother Media:
Does the prospect of having 24 Blackhawk Helicopters, military transport jets, Marine Cobra helicopters running 22 "training" operations daily 365 days a year out of Santa Fe Airport make you a little nervous? Unfortunately, that's what's on the agenda for our "Progressive Community."

Citizens for Environmental Safeguards (CES) Director Elaine Cimino will be speaking  about her lawsuit opposing the helicopters and base expansion at the Veterans for Peace meeting in Santa Fe on Wednesday evening, April 13 at 7:30 PM at El Museo Cultural, on Paseo de Peralta near Guadalupe Stree in the Railyard. But don't miss "The Right To Know" regarding environmental toxins starting at 6:45 PM at the Downtown Public Library.  Mother Media will be at both events.

Five years ago, Santa Fe gave a lease to the National Guard to put in a new hangar, additional outbuildings and add five Blackhawks to their stable of four. Now they want to include some Blackhawks from Kirtland AFB, some from Nevada and buy some new ones. The JAG officer on the case has admitted 24 helicopters plus support aircraft are likely on the base.

Using the pretext that the military is exempt from Federal Environmental Laws, the National Guard claimed *it didn't even need to do an environmental assessment.* The nerve. Through the legal efforts of Elaine Cimino, the Guard was forced to prepare one. It is due out at the end of the month and we are getting ready to mobilize against the new base expansion. Here is Elaine's press release:

Citizens for Environmental Safeguards (CES) Director Elaine Cimino will be speaking  at the Veterans for Peace meeting on Wednesday evening,
April 13 at 7:15 pm at Museo Cultural, on Paseo Peralta (Guadalupe St and the Railyard).

The Final Environmental Assessment will be released this month in April on the Blackhawk facility in Santa Fe NM.Ms. Cimino will update the community  as to the future military base and operations in Santa Fe, NM. A five year battle in the the federal courts was dismissed pending an environmental review. It is now a whole new ball game.

According to the US Army National Guard General, JAG officers, and Environmental assessments the Santa Fe Military base is scheduled to include 24 blackhawk helicopters, 2-4  jets, C-12's and another personel and air-support equipment and carriers. Operations are designed for a training and support to the expanded training base in the US Forest Service area of the Caja del Rio, which is under a no-fly zone.

This operation is quite different from the first presentation made to the Santa Fe City Council  who approved a 50 year lease for $1 a year on a facility supporting only 9 helicopters. The final approval for the lease facility hung on one vote from City Council Patty Bushee who voted for the facility.  US Army and NM National Guard promised a $6M yearly boost to the local economy.  This area is also included in the Patriot Missile Defense System that is being implemented throughout NM.  Senator Bingaman has just announced this past week he would ask for another $130 M for this pork barrel project. This is a project was scheduled to cost $11M just 5 years ago. What is really going on?

To find out more about this issue please attend.

Elaine Cimino  Director  1-800 424-9100