Do You Care What Happens With Briscoe Field?

The question of whether or not Briscoe Field should be privatized and/or commercialized has divided Gwinnett County for well over a year now.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has held a , met with ,  and formed a , yet the controversy continues.

Last week, the group Citizens for a Better Gwinnett (C4BG) launched an online petition in an effort to . C4BG posted the following statement on the petition website:

It is our belief that the only profitable reason for any company to bid for the privatization of Briscoe Field would be to also eventually schedule passenger aviation at Briscoe Field which will devastate home values in the Lawrenceville area. The expansion will affect as many as 158,139 residents, within five miles of Briscoe.

Noise will continually interrupt the education of children at 40 area schools, not to mention the impact on the enjoyment of our homes and outdoor activities.  Traffic on the already over-capacity roadways (Hwy 316, Hwy 20, & secondary roads) around Briscoe will be gridlocked. Our long-term health will be affected by jet fuel fallout, which is listed by the EPA as a primary source of benzene.  The EPA classifies benzene as a Class A carcinogenic, which indicates it is a chemical known to cause cancer in humans.

Are you concerned about the potential commercialization of Briscoe Field? Do you feel opponents' concerns are legitimate? Do you currently live in the Briscoe Field flight path? Is this an issue with which those in the Dacula area should be concerned? Tell us in the comments.