By Chuck DeWitt, Informing Citizens About Airport Runway Expansion (ICAARE)
For 19 years the mission of the bipartisan members and supporters of Informing Citizens about Airport Runway Expansion (ICAARE) has been to support a safe airport while limiting its capacity for larger jets. Given (1) the appalling lack of transparency of the recently published, federally funded airport expansion planning document, Environmental Assessment (EA), and (2) the fact that the current Commissioners disrespected Valley voters by rescinding their long established right to vote on an expanded runway i.e. larger jets; we are now advocating that the federal government be required to fully disclose the future impacts of this massive project in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). (Note: All federal capital projects such as prisons, dams, toxic waste storage are governed by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Montana Constitution which require full disclosure of the impacts of federal/state funded projects in the form of an EA for small simple projects and an EIS for large, complex projects.)
ICAARE believes that this significant ( approximately $20M) public works project crammed into the most urban area of our narrow alpine valley requires the full disclosure requirements available in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and that the 2014 EA is deficient as follows:
1. Safety – (A) The current runway length of 4,200’ was implicitly certified “safe” for all current uses including Forest Service SEAT (single engine air tankers) aircraft in a 2010 compromise agreement (designated 2A) hashed out by ICAARE, the then current Ravalli County Commissioners and approved by the FAA. In an era when voters recoiled at the very idea of federal “earmarks,” ICAARE reluctantly acceded to this expenditure of $20M of unprioritized pork on a tiny, 2 ½ season, hobby airport (Note: Total price could surge depending on land acquisition costs). Unfortunately, Project 2A was subsequently abandoned in favor of a longer runway by the current Commissioners immediately upon taking office in 2011.
(B) Before committing federal dollars to an airport capital project, the FAA is required to prove that an airport “needs” an upgrade, in our case, evidence of a requisite number of large, aircraft flights. Taxpayers will be stunned (perhaps, not so much given recent revelations of the self-serving ineptitude of our federal bureaucracies) and should be offended to discover the low bar required by the FAA to justify the expenditure of their $20M. To count the flights needed to qualify for this vast sum of our money, the FAA relies on unaudited, handwritten aircraft fuel sales tickets provided by unsupervised fuel truck driver employees of the local fuel supplier who has a potential vested interested in airport expansion. In fact, since the required “need” for this project has never been proven scientifically, it is possible that our airport has never qualified for federal funding and that this dysfunctional, biennial debate has forever been for naught.
2. Scope/Budget – While the current EA alludes to future phases, it only discloses to Valley residents Phase I or $7.8M of a multiphase $20M total project. One possible explanation for this incredible lack of transparency is that FAA regulations require a “Benefit/Cost Analysis” for projects exceeding $10M. Imagine dividing the number of private/hobby flights, Forest Service flights, or even net new jobs (there is currently about 10-20 permanent/seasonal jobs) by $20M. All of these activities are currently occurring safely so the FAA bureaucrats will have to conjure up a creative definition of the term “benefit.”
Most importantly, if Valley residents don’t know the scope of the expansion, they can’t know the potential impacts – size and number of future aircraft, time of day of operations, environmental impacts (noise, lead, water, air, wildlife) etc. Further, once the airport is built, the FAA is in charge and they practice passive enforcement. Any aircraft may use the airport for any legal reason, any time of day as long as they don’t crash. Don’t bother calling the Commissioners if you don’t like 2 AM takeoffs by jets much larger i.e. noisier than current. An example of this unlimited federal control is the FAA recently doubled the runway weight limit of Williston, ND allowing regional jets to operate there.
3. Project Finance – The County’s 10% share ($700k, Phase I) is being paid by undisclosed donors who wish to remain anonymous. As one of NEPA’s primary purposes is to ensure transparency (i.e. no undue influence) when federal money is involved, secrets or back room deals are unlawful and not entitled to First Amendment protection. Presumably, the secret donors would like a return on their investment. If we do not know their identity, we can’t know their motives, expectations or the degree to which they control the project or elected officials. We are left to speculate as to their intent and their desire for secrecy.
4. Economic Development – Alas, there are many mile long runways in the country close to major business centers with four season flying weather. Ravalli County Airport is known as a 2 ½ season airport sandwiched into a narrow valley by two mountain ranges – suboptimal airport for dependable, year around, air transportation.
5. Zoning – In order to protect themselves from inevitable, future liability claims, the FAA requires the enactment of an airport zone or Airport Affected Area encompassing about 10 square miles around the airport. Residents (and Realtors) of this zone are required to disclose to future buyers the stringent provisions of these regulations. The City of Stevensville recently rejected a FAA funded airport expansion largely due to the onerous provisions of this imposed zoning.
Finally, ICAARE advocates for an Environmental Impact Statement that requires full disclosure of the potential impacts of this massive federal project, the identities of the anonymous donors and their arrangements with our Commissioners, and reinstatement of our right to vote. We appreciate the support of hundreds of you who contacted the FAA with your concerns and who have assisted ICAARE financially. We urge you to contact commissioner candidates and express your concerns about future airport expansion and its secret financing. Pro expansion groups have access to the vast resources of the federal government. We, ICAARE, have only our fellow citizens to share the labor and the costs of resistance to this massive federal overreach. If you would like to support ICAARE in these efforts e.g. volunteer time, financial support for attorney’s fees, expert witnesses, etc., please contact us at icaareairport@gmail.com.