"Federal bill pushes for airport expansions: States would lose power to obstruct"

Friday, June 8, 2001

Lipinski bill pushes for airport expansions
States would lose power to obstruct
By Mike Dorning
The Chicago (IL) Tribune


WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. William Lipinski introduced legislation Thursday
that would clear the way for the city to build new runways at O'Hare
International Airport and ease the expansion of other major airports around
the country.

The Chicago Democrat's measure, which strips state governments of the
authority to block developments at large airports, goes well beyond a
proposal advanced by Iowa Sens. Tom Harkin, a Democrat, and Charles
Grassley, a Republican. The proposal from the Iowans is directed only at
O'Hare, giving Congress rather than the governor authority to approve new
runways.

The plan Lipinski offered Thursday would override state laws that require
local approval of development projects at any of the nation's 68 largest
airports.

"This is a national problem," said Lipinski, the top-ranking Democrat on the
House Aviation Subcommittee. "If we're going to do something about aviation
gridlock, it's going to be necessary to take this power away from governors
and state legislatures throughout this nation."

Airport expansion in the Chicago area has been stalled by a 20-year
political deadlock, with most Democrats and the city of Chicago preferring
to expand capacity at O'Hare. Illinois Republicans have fought expansion of
O'Hare and wish to build a third regional airport in Peotone.

But Lipinski's approach could offend Republicans concerned about Congress
pre-empting states' rights.

"This is not just an aviation issue. It's a governing issue," said Steven
Hansen, a spokesman for House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young
(R-Alaska). "We're going to take a look at it, but no decision has been
made."

Grassley applauded Lipinski's legislation.

"It's essential to relieve the congestion at O'Hare as soon as possible," he
said. "If leadership is not provided at the state level, the only
alternative is to proceed at the federal level."

After two summers of record flight delays and rising passenger frustration
with aviation congestion, pressure has been growing in Congress for relief.

Legislation to ease environmental regulations on runway construction has
attracted strong support in Congress. There also is significant support for
a proposal to grant airlines immunity from antitrust laws when coordinating
their schedules to reduce delays at busy airports.

Lipinski said preliminary information that the Federal Aviation
Administration has supplied to his office indicates that 18 states
effectively require state approval for new airport runways. Illinois and
Maryland explicitly allow the state government to veto a proposed runway,
and the rest mandate that federal grant proposals be channeled through the
state government, he said.

Also on Thursday, supporters of an airport at Peotone released a letter in
which Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) offered a written commitment to "support
moving forward with a third Chicago-area airport at Peotone."

"The State of Illinois is committed to developing this site, and a federal
environmental analysis is under way. Common sense dictates that we'll need
this additional capacity in the future," Durbin's letter says.

Although supporters of Peotone trumpeted the letter as an endorsement,
Durbin said it represents no change from previous statements in which he
said he considered a third airport inevitable and indicated he would not
oppose a site at Peotone.

Durbin said he still considers expanding capacity at O'Hare Airport his
first priority.

"Will the site at Peotone work?" Durbin said. "I don't know the answer yet."

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