CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A local environmental protection group is opposing West Virginia International Yeager Airport’s proposal to extend a runway.
The Facebook group, Save Coonskin Park! is concerned the proposed project will negatively impact the park, as the runway would extend into its property through mountaintop removal.
“It would end up kind of looking like a mountaintop removal coal mine site that would then be used as fill dirt to fill in the valley to extend the runway into the park,” said Jeremy Severn, a spokesperson with the Save Coonskin Park group.
In an effort to get the word out about the issue, the group plans to host a “Grab and Go” information day this Sunday at the park and will answer community questions about the proposal. They will give directions to the threatened areas the project would affect, such as hiking trails like The Grotto.
The group asserts that the Airfield, Safety, and Terminal Improvement Project — a push by the FAA and the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority — will bulldoze the park’s hilltops and would ultimately lead to a negative impact on the environment.
Severn said in addition to it being similar to a coal mine mountaintop removal project, the plan also includes the placement of a tall retaining wall that would be put near the Elk River, not far from the West Virginia American Water intake.
“Any kind of runoff pollution or retaining wall collapse would affect the Elk River and the water intake for a large portion of the state,” Severn said.
He said the project is not even necessary.
“The biggest argument against it is that the airport does not need this longer runway to continue to service our area, and so they’re going to permanently take a park what was built for the citizens of Charleston,” said Severn.
Airport officials argue that there is a need to extend Runway 5-23 to allow for a Runway Safety Area that meets FAA standards. The FAA claims that both ends of the runway needs to be extended and needs to meet existing and future runway stipulations of 7,000 feet.
However, CRW has not yet made any official plans to institute the project at this time, but they state that anything they do get underway will hold potential environmental impacts in high regard.
“The proposed airfield, safety, and terminal improvements to satisfy immediate and long-term needs at West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) are in the early stages of planning with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As such, it would be premature to comment on specific details as no definitive plans have been made,” read the statement from Yeager Airport.
“The FAA will consider all reasonable alternatives of the project with a full and fair discussion of the significant environmental impacts of the Proposed Action. West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) is committed to operating our facilities in an environmentally responsible manner to conserve the existing resources unique to CRW while also providing a safe and pleasant experience for the public at large, and the Airport’s customers, vendors, and staff. We’re working to prepare the airport for the future of aviation, to ensure CRW can continue to serve as the gateway to West Virginia and the world by retaining and attracting additional air service.”
While the Save Coonskin Park group has not personally tried to reach out to the airport about their concerns yet, they eventually plan to, along with reaching out to FAA officials and possibly any local politicians in support of the project.
Right now their focus is reaching out to the public and spreading awareness about the issue around the community, as they say the park is an amenity which belongs to everyone.
“It is a very well used park and a very well used green space, not only for Charleston but for Kanawha County and the Elk River, and to just blindly destroy it for the sake of a project that is not necessary, and a project that would also negatively impact the environment is something that we need people to help support against,” Severn said.
Severn said their support is growing though, as they already accrued almost 5,600 members to their Facebook group and over 2,600 people have already signed the petition they created for the effort. He said the airport’s plans are not yet a done deal and wants to encourage everyone that there is still time to save the park.
Sunday’s information day about the effort will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. rain or shine at Shelter 7 in Coonskin Park, which is the first shelter on left in the “upper park.”
The petition will be available for everyone to sign and no registration is necessary for the event. Along with information, they will also be giving out free buttons and stickers. Yard signs will also be given out but they require a donation fee to help cover the cost.
They do ask that people do not show up all at once but rather come and go throughout the day.