Congressman Henry Waxman on Tuesday said he sent a letter to Federal Aviation Association (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta asking that the FAA participate in a forum in Santa Monica with local residents and the City of Santa Monica to discuss options for the future of the Santa Monica Airport (SMO).
The airport is currently operating under the Santa Monica Airport Agreement, a settlement agreement with the FAA that was established in 1984. The agreement will expire in 2015.
“The Santa Monica Airport is just feet from many homes in Santa Monica. For years, residents have had to live with safety, noise, and pollution issues at the airport,” said Waxman. “I share the concerns of the residents living around the airport and have been fighting for improvements for many years. The operating agreement with the FAA is due to expire in 2015, and the future of the airport is at a critical juncture. It’s time to start having frank conversation with the FAA about SMO post-2015. I am asking the FAA to participate in a forum to hear from local residents and the City about their priorities for the airport. “
Waxman said he has for years worked to improve airport safety and limit the impact of noise and pollution at the airport.
He said he has called on the FAA to expand the use of unleaded fuel to reduce lead emissions and to allow the City to establish meaningful noise limitations on aircraft takeoffs and landings and create a runway safety area on each side of the runway.
More about Waxman’s work on Santa Monica Airport is available on his website here.
The full text of Tuesday’s letter is available here.
