Study: Utah’s Hill Air Force Base gains few jobs with F-35 jets

Basing F-35 fighter jets at Hill Air Force Base would require anywhere from $18 million to $41 million in construction but would net — under the rosiest scenario — only 13 more support jobs for the northern Utah base.

That's according to the draft Environmental Impact Statement released Friday by Air Combat Command, which is headquartered at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

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Three Utah public hearings planned

Public hearings are planned to collect comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement. To read it, go to www.accplanning.org.

5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Northridge High School in Layton

5 p.m. to 8 p.m. , Ogden High School in Ogden

5 p.m. to 8 p.m., West Wendover Branch Library in West Wendover, Nev.

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About the F-35

The F-35s that could come to Hill Air Force Base are the F-35As, a variation of the supersonic, single-seat aircraft that makes conventional take-offs and landings.

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The release of the draft EIS, required under the National Environmental Policy Act, kicks off a 45-day comment period. Three public hearings are planned in Utah.

After that, the Air Force will «marry» the public feedback with what it knows about the six alternative bases, said Kathy White, a spokeswoman at Langley.

Hill Air Force Base for several years has been the preferred alternative among active-duty bases to host a fleet of F-35s, which are expected to go into service beginning in 2015. The Burlington Air National Guard Base in Vermont is the preferred alternative among National Guard air bases. The Air Force expects to pick one of each.

The F-35 will replace the aging fleet of F-16s, at least at Hill, where 48 of the jets have long been a central part of the base's mission.

A final EIS will be issued at least 30 days after the public comment period ends, and the Air Force will then decide where it will send the F-35.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, Utah's senior senator, called the F-35 the «future of the Air Force. «

«I'm pleased that the program remains on track to play an important role in the critical work done at Hill in defense of our nation,» Hatch said in a written statement Friday.

The draft EIS describes the noise, pollution and, to some extent, the economic effects of basing the fighter jets at each of the six bases but does not point to winners and losers.

For the active-duty bases — Mountain Home in Idaho and Shaw in South Carolina are the other options — it considers the effects of three scenarios: 24, 48 or 72 new F-35s.

If only 24 jets come to Hill, it would require $18 million in construction and result in a net loss of 1,157 jobs after the F-16s are retired or transferred elsewhere.

The second scenario would be a wash in the number of jets — 48 new F-35s and the loss of 48 F-16s — and would cost $30 million for construction. It would mean a net loss of 572 jobs.

Under the third scenario, Hill would have 72 F-35s and require nearly $41 million in construction. Only 13 more positions would be required to operate and maintain the jets, the draft EIS says.

The neighborhoods now affected by noise in Davis and Weber counties would be similarly affected under the first and second options, but more households would have higher levels of noise under the third, the draft says.

The sparsely populated west desert would have perceptible increases in noise levels, especially under the third situation, but there would be fewer daily flights under the first two scenarios.

There would be fewer air pollutants under the first option, and all but sulphur oxides would decrease under the second and third scenarios.

kmoulton@sltrib.com

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