EL TORO REUSE PLANNING AUTHORITY
IRVINE -- January 20, 1999 --The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority (ETRPA) strongly objects to the county's plan for interim cargo operations at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. ETRPA will vigorously oppose any interim flights at the base, and expects that the Marine Corps will not allow interim use without full environmental review.
According ETRPA board member Susan Withrow, "This proposal from the county flies in the face of promises made to south county residents by county and airport proponents who have always promised south county cities that any airport at El Toro would provide the same curfews and restrictions residents surrounding John Wayne enjoy. This is the first step towards building an international commercial airport at El Toro and yet the county staff has clearly demonstrated it is unconcerned with providing any restrictions at all. Flights are planned beginning at 4:00 a.m and ending at 11:30 p.m. In addition, general aviation is also being pursued which will put noisy, low flying aircraft traveling in relatively random flight patterns right over our homes. This is why the cities and citizens in South County continue to distrust and oppose the county's planning process for El Toro. " ETRPA believes the additional cargo operations could be handled at John Wayne Airport, but this interim use is a way of circumventing John Wayne's curfews at the expense of south county residents.
Allan Songstad, also an ETRPA board member, said the county is trying to shortcut the process which should require full environmental review on such an important land use issue and one that has potentially many impacts to residents. "The FAA has not approved any runway configuration or flight path and the Allied Pilots Association and the ATA have all registered strong objections to the flight plans and runway configurations proposed in the county's aviation master plan. It is unconscionable that they would put the lives of the pilots and the people on the ground in jeopardy without complete assurance that El Toro is operating at optimum rather than minimum safety standards. Also, the county has not completed it's noise analysis. We have more than 50,000 people living with in the flight paths that should have full mitigation in place for noise and other impacts before flight operations begin."
In addition, the county's plan fails to outline potentially significant costs for items such as runway repair, installation of equipment for navigation, lighting, fire and safety services, air traffic control, insurance and other services required to operate a civilian cargo and general aviation service.
The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority comprised of the cities immediately
surrounding El Toro and most directly impacted by its use and operation.
ETRPA developed the Millennium Plan, the official non-aviation alternative
for El Toro.
|
|
|