Don’t be alarmed today if you hear the hum or see the underside of a low-flying airplane over Dallas or Fort Worth.
It’s piloted by friendlies.
Look closely and spot the writing on the wings. One side reads “US” and the other “EPA” — short for “United States” and “Environmental Protection Agency,” respectively.
According to a news release from the city of Forth Worth, the state asked the federal agency to monitor environmental activities in the area, and wow, Texas asked for EPA assistance in anything?
The plane — flying between 500 and 2,800 feet at a speed of about 115 mph, which is like 15 mph for a car — will use airborne spectral photographic environmental collection technology to conduct aerial chemical and radiological surveys to keep tabs on such things in the lead-up to the Super Bowl, and, um, is there something we should be concerned about?
The surveys, according to the release, “will be utilized by federal, state, and local agencies for preparedness activities.”
So move along … nothing to see here … go about your business … it’s all good.
Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. He is fashioning a tinfoil hat right about now.
