Expansion at the McKinney National Airport has long been a contentious issue, but a recent lawsuit in federal court over a study of its environmental effects is reigniting community concerns over potential traffic, pollution and noise from the project, which includes plans to add a passenger terminal with commercial service as early as next year.

A group called the North Texas Conservation Association has asked a federal court to review the state’s finding that further airport development won’t significantly harm the environment. The association hosted a community town hall Wednesday in Fairview, just south of McKinney and its airport, for residents to learn more about its petition to the court to review the environmental assessment.

Steven Ross, the association’s legal counsel, said McKinney failed to adequately consider neighboring land by assessing a very narrowly defined area in the environmental study, leading to “flaws and irregularities” in the report. He said Wednesday the city may have rushed the airport’s expansion through the process.

“I think there were some ‘I’s that weren’t dotted, and there were some ‘T’s that weren’t crossed,” Ross said at the town hall.

In a statement, the city of McKinney called the claims brought by the conservation group unsubstantiated.

“The City will vigorously defend the findings in the environmental assessment and seek to have the lawsuit dismissed,” the statement reads.

The airport expansion has faced pushback for years. In 2023, McKinney residents rejected a $200 million bond to fund improvements and projects at the airport that included a commercial air service terminal building. In 2015, voters decided against a $50 million bond to fund expansion.

Ross said he moved to McKinney to be farther from Dallas Love Field. He is disappointed that the airport has continued to expand and concerned how traffic, pollution and noise might affect neighbors.

The study states no noise mitigation is needed for the expanded airport and that by 2031, the areas of sound increases include land north of the airport through mostly farm land and land south of the airport — into the Heritage Ranch area in Fairview.

“They’re basically saying, ‘tough luck,’” Ross told attendees.

Environmental concerns have surrounded the airport for years and Fairview, whose residents are not included in McKinney’s elections, has protested the airport over environmental concerns for decades, filing a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration as far back as 2004.

“Fairview was there and Fairview is still here,” said former Fairview Town Council member Carolyn Sommers, one of 250 people attending the Wednesday meeting.

John Nakaoka, 72, lives in Heritage Ranch and said the noise from the airport is already a nuisance.

“I’m hoping … that the elected officials of the surrounding cities, counties and even the state actually look at what is better for northern Texas,” Nakaoka said after the meeting.

Groundbreaking for the airport expansion is planned this summer on the airport’s eastside development, which includes plans for a passenger terminal. City officials see the airport as an economic beacon and hope it becomes a regional alternative to DFW International Airport and Love Field.

Residents have also raised concerns about how the airport’s expansion might disrupt the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, a 289-acre nature preserve in McKinney.

The environmental assessment states its findings “determined no adverse effects for noise and for the museum.”

Fairview resident Ben Brown said at Wednesday’s town hall that the report “totally dismissed” the nature preserve. He and some other Fairview residents believe the airport in Sherman is a better option to expand for a third regional airport.

The association will host another meeting in McKinney on June 19.

Email lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com on all things McKinney and Plano.