HARMAN, ROSENDAHL AND KNABE SEND LETTER TO MAYOR ON LAX

Trio of lawmakers urge him to lead

Washington, D.C. This morning, Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice), Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, and Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl sent a joint letter to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa regarding the issues surrounding the northern runways at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The letter is attached below:

August 23, 2007

The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor, City of Los Angeles
City Hall
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dear Mr. Mayor:

Yesterday, the three of us met with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to discuss issues and concerns regarding the northern runways at LAX.  We know that she is scheduled to meet with you today on the same subject.

The 2005 LAX Settlement Agreement you advanced brought together all stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues.  After 18 months of discussion, almost all of them have been put to bed.  The Agreement allows the airport to move forward with a Midfield Terminal behind the Tom Bradley International Terminal, an automated people mover, a consolidated rental car facility, and reconfiguration of the south runways.  The only significant item remaining on the table is the configuration of the north runways.  

Airport officials and other expansion advocates have been arguing for months that LAX must move the north runways closer to the communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey by at least 340 feet.  They justify this citing "operational efficiency" and the need to accommodate new Group VI super jumbo jets.  But if a runway is to move that much closer to a residential area there must be a clear safety rationale.  

The airport's newly configured south runways can now handle simultaneous landings of two Group V aircraft (such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner) or a single Group VI aircraft like the Airbus 380.  And the north runway, even in its current configuration, can accommodate a single Boeing Dreamliner or a single Airbus 380.

If there is a legitimate safety concern on the north side, then let's deal with it.  We, too, are committed to LAX's modernization, and we agree that a safe airfield is critical.  While the FAA believes the construction of a taxiway on the north airfield will improve safety, there is no definitive study on which approach makes the most sense, or whether solutions that protect Westchester and Playa del Rey could accomplish the same goals.

We were surprised by Monday’s Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) action, which expanded the focus of the NASA study beyond the issue of safety.  Instead of a true “safety study” that evaluates various alternatives, BOAC’s revised scope muddies this objective.  We ask that you instruct your airport commission to restore the study’s original scope as recommended by the North Airfield Safety Advisory Committee and to make sure its results can be incorporated into the EIR.  If the NASA study does not focus on the objectives recommended by the Committee, it will have no credibility.  

We urge you to apply your considerable political and personal skills to forging a path forward that truly enhances safety and security at LAX, fosters a regional airport build-out to share the benefits and burdens of growth with other airports - and respects your commitment to the communities most affected.

Sincerely,

/s/                                    /s/                                          /s/ 

JANE HARMAN                DON KNABE                            BILL ROSENDAHL       
Member of Congress         Supervisor, Fourth District         Council Member, 11th District  
                                       County of Los Angeles              City of Los Angeles

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