"Out-clause angers Logan runway foes"

Thursday, June 27, 2002

Out-clause angers runway foes 
by Doug Hanchett
The Boston (MA) Herald


A clause buried deep inside the FAA's preliminary approval of a new
airstrip for Logan International Airport would allow Massport to wriggle
out from under a controversial wind restriction as soon as Logan's
blueprint for overall runway usage is revamped.

Runway opponents blasted the Federal Aviation Administration's draft
decision yesterday after stumbling upon the out-clause, fearing the
10-knot wind restriction would quickly be discarded. 

``There's the open door (for Massport) to throw the wind restriction out
. . . and do whatever the hell they want with (the runway),'' said
Anastasia Lyman, vice president of Communities Against Runway Expansion.
``There are so many loopholes that the FAA has incorporated (into its
review) that there is no enforceability that anyone can see.''

On Friday, the FAA gave preliminary approval to the $60 million runway,
but said in its environmental review that planes would be prohibited
from using the runway unless winds were blowing at 11.5 mph or higher.

But yesterday runway opponents discovered that the FAA included the
out-clause. It would allow Massport, after the airport's computer
program tracks runway use and shows air traffic controllers which
landing strips are being underutilized, to possibly rid itself of the
wind restriction.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, FAA officials said that to do
so, Massport would have to show the benefits of redistributing planes to
the new runway would outweigh those gained by keeping the wind
restriction in place.

The FAA, which has tried to craft a compromise that all sides in the
30-year runway debate can live with, pointed out that the out-clause
could be stricken when the agency issues its official record of decision
later this summer. The official ruling will follow a 30-day comment
period.

According to the FAA's environmental analysis, obtained by the Herald
yesterday, the new runway ``will reduce delays without causing
significant negative environmental impacts . . . (and) the reliability
of the airport could be significantly improved.''

In addition, the FAA found the runway will bring ``environmental
benefits by increasing the use of over-water routings . . . (and) will
reduce the number of people residing in the highest noise exposure
areas.''

Massport officials said they were pleased with the FAA review, which
they said confirmed many of their earlier findings.

CARE was scheduled to meet last night to review the document and map out
its strategy. Lyman said the group remains focused on the legal fight in
Suffolk Superior Court to keep in place a 1976 injunction barring
construction of the runway. ``Our key focus right now, since this
document has so many holes in it, is on the court injunction.''


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID8

*****************************************