Airport Bill Flies without Amendments

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

June 2 –- A State bill that would require Santa Monica to keep tabs on jet traffic flew through the State Assembly early Thursday without key amendments proposed by the City.

Approved on the floor by a vote of 42 to 34, the bill sponsored by Assembly member Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) singles out Santa Monica Airport for increased pollution testing, mandating that the airport track idle and take-off times for jets.

But the amendments recommended by the Santa Monica City Council –- which would have lowered the administrative costs to the City from some $500,000 to no more than $35,000 -- came too late to be incorporated, according to Lieu’s office.

“It’s certainly not a finished product,” said David Ford, Lieu’s chief of staff. “We will continue to work with the City of Santa Monica.”

The day before AB 2501 was scheduled to reach the floor, Ford said, “there was a lot of back and forth” between Lieu’s staff and City officials.

But before the amendments could be incorporated, the Assembly speaker added the measure to the list of bills that would be voted on during Wednesday night’s session, Ford said.

The conditions will likely be included when the bill –- which was opposed by Assembly member Fran Pavley, who represents Santa Monica -- goes to the State Senate for a vote in the coming months, Ford said.

The City Council recommended the amendments as a condition for its support during its meeting last Thursday.

In addition to the amendment lowering the City’s administrative costs, the council also directed staff to work with neighbors, State legislators and L.A. Council member Bill Rosendahl on long-term solutions for airport issues.

Lieu’s bill addresses longtime concerns expressed by residents near the airport who say exhausted jet fuel blown in from the jets by ocean breezes and the tarmac’s orientation is harming their health.

"Ocean breezes carry the jet emissions into the residential neighborhoods to the east of Santa Monica Airport, replacing the ocean breeze with the odor and harmfulness of jet kerosene," Lieu said.

Jet operations at Santa Monica Airport have jumped from about 1,000 in 1983 to more than 18,000 last year.

The impacts of exhausted jet fuel on neighboring residents have been exacerbated by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement that aircraft wait for Los Angeles International Airport's permission before take off, Lieu said.

The requirement has delayed departures at Santa Monica Airport, requiring jets to idle longer while awaiting permission from LAX to take off, he said.

AB 2501 would require Santa Monica Airport to monitor and record the taxi and idle times of taxis and jet operations for one year. This data would be made available to the public on a monthly basis.

The bill is sponsored by the Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution and backed by the Mar Vista Community Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club California and the Friends of Sunset Park.