Westchester can’t remain silent on FAA plans
Swanson, Oros urge county executive to join neighbors in legal fight against flight paths

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2007

Contact: Suzanne Swanson; Tel: (914) 995-2847; Srs3@westchestergov.com

Legislators Suzanne Swanson (C-R/Mount Pleasant) and George Oros (R-C/Cortlandt) are calling on County Executive Andrew Spano to keep up the fight against the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recently announced Airspace Redesign plan, even if it means entering litigation.

In fact, Swanson and Oros encouraged Spano to join forces with neighboring Rockland County, which last week filed a lawsuit in the federal Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. to try to stop the FAA from moving forward with a plan it called “fundamentally flawed legally.”

“The FAA didn’t even have the decency of holding a hearing here in Westchester, yet they approve a plan that is going to disrupt the lives of thousands of residents,” said Swanson, noting Hawthorne and Thornwood, which she represents, would experience increased air traffic under the plan. “This is outrageous and unacceptable.”

“Protecting the quality of life of residents is one of our main functions as elected officials,” said Oros, mentioning Peekskill was on the radar screen for more plane travel. “Sometimes there’s no other recourse than litigation, and that’s the corner the FAA has put us in.”

Residents of Rockland contend the new flight patterns are in violation of the noise mitigation requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and 1990 Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act.

Several muncipalities in Rockland directly affected by the new plan have already indicated interest in piggybacking on the lawsuit.

“The county executive has been vocal against the FAA’s plan from the onset and it’s his responsibility to keep fighting on behalf of all the residents of Westchester until the final bell sounds,” Swanson said.