HR 3479, the Airport National Capacity Act, was recently passed by the House of Representatives with little opposition. Companion Senate Bill, S 2039, may be voted on in early September.

While ostensibly addressing four airports in two mid-West states (principally O'Hare Airport) this legislation is truly precedent setting. The Federal Government would have the power to preempt State and/or Local governments' laws and regulations governing airport planning. A regional approach to air transportation needs, with suitable feasible alternatives, would by replaced and pre-empted by Federal law.

Two examples illustrative of the problem follow:

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) operators would like to expand capacity from 65 million to 120 million passengers yearly. A coalition of 80 cities, grass roots organizations and local members of Congress oppose the LAX expansion plan. They support a regional approach to Southern California air transportation needs. Under HR 3479 and S 2093, the regional approach would be preempted by federal statute.

O'Hare Airport is petitioning the federal government for funds to underwrite its extensive expansion plans. Local communities, suffering from poor air quality and excessive cancer/asthma rates, ask that O'Hare expansion be limited and alternative airports utilized and created. Under HR 3479, S2039, the federal government will have the final decision on those expansion plans.

The bill, by its very nature, is anti-environmental as it mandates airport expansion and eliminates better alternatives as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. It also violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) according to case law cited by Congressman Lipinski in the passage of HR3479, S 2039's companion bill. Aviation industry-related laws and bills in the United States are generally written so that the NEPA's environmental evaluation and mitigation process will not be allowed regarding expansion of airports or increases in flights. The bill also sets a horrible precedent for all states in America and its leading advocate is United Airlines who has been lobbying congress hard and heavy in the name of economic benefit for its 85,000 employees. See: United Airlines is the leading advocate urging passage of S 2039 http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/020501/12264_3.html
http://www.unitedairlines.co.jp/english /about/press_releases/2002/apr04.htm
http://www.ual.com/site/primaryPR/0,10026,1534_1100,00. html

A list of 61 senators supporting S 2039 may be found at http://www.areco.org/

It is imperative that you notify your Senators of your opposition to S 2039 - NOW - ASAP - before local and state control is handed to the airlines once and for all!

Senator Dianne Feinstein @ 415-536-6868 or 202-224-3841 or senator@feinstein.senate.gov

Be aware too, that the senator's husband is: Richard C. Blum, Chairman & President, of the board of directors for Northwest Airlines and has served as a director of the Company since 1989.

Senator Barbara Boxer @ 916-448-2787 or 202-224-3553 or senator@boxer.senate.gov

Text of Senate Bill 2039 for the 107th Congress
and the related Senate Bill 633 due for a vote at anytime

Text of HR 3479 already passed by the House of Representatives

Roll call vote to see how your representatives voted for HR 3479

News

http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2002/02-3-049x.html

Airport Noise Report Line - (408) 452-0707

(24 hour reporting of loud aircraft, curfew penetrations, engine run-ups in the middle of the night)

San Jose Airport Noise Center

The city of San Jose has a new Info line that is a 24/7 fax. The number is 408-277-8500 with four digit codes for the following:

1103 - Airport Acoustical Treatment Program
1106 - Airport Noise Monitoring Center
1109 - General Information

South Bay residents are encouraged to report intrusive aircraft overflight noise on San Francisco Airport's toll free citizen complaint number. Callers with a complaint should state the time, date, duration.

The toll free number is 1 (877) 206-8290

Live Radar Flight Tracks allows you to watch the movement of flights and air traffic patterns currently in use within the Bay Area. This map will show flight tracks of aircraft arriving and departing from SFO, Oakland, and San Jose Airport and other nearby general aviation airports. Red plane icons are arrivals, green are departures, black are General Aviation or small propeller aircraft and helicopters. The white icons are aircraft transiting the area and bypassing local airports. The icon sizes are uniform regardless of the actual size of the aircraft.

Map showing the cummulative effect of 17 of Santa Clara County's leading 'High Tech' Hazardous Air Pollutants identified by SVTC that are contained in the CEP database and have an EPA Benchmark for cancer. The risk for cancer is much higher than the Clean Air Act goal of 1 in 1 million individuals anywhere in Santa Clara County. The cancer risk ranges from 18 to 876 additional cancer cases - a high of over 800 additional cancer cases per million individuals - resulting from exposure to the subset of High Tech chemicals that SVTC has identified.

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