Cox readying JWA protection language

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- Rep. Chris Cox is looking for an opening to insert

language into a federal bill to help smoothly extend the flight

restrictions at John Wayne Airport.

Cox, who represents Newport Beach, crafted a paragraph he says he is

poised to tack onto a future aviation bill as a rider. The language would

allow local officials to finish negotiating the extension of the

airport’s 1985 settlement agreement without losing a key federal

protection of the restrictions.

“The main purpose [of the language] is to authorize the conclusion of

the negotiations already underway,” Cox said. “The purpose is to ensure

that essentially the status quo remains.”

Cox, first elected to Congress in 1988, was instrumental in securing a

special exception for John Wayne Airport in the Airport Noise and

Capacity Act, enacted into law in 1990.

The new legislative provision would allow a new agreement -- between

Newport Beach, Orange County and two airport groups -- to remain exempt

from the act, which prohibits airports or local agencies from

unilaterally imposing curfews, flight caps or any other limits on airline

activity.

Newport Beach officials made the request to Cox’s office last month.

“We just want to be sure that the agreement we work out with the

county is acceptable and does not create problems,” Newport Beach

Councilwoman Norma Glover said.

The county released an environmental report with a handful of

potential scenarios for extending the settlement agreement, which will

expire in 2005.

That agreement was responsible for the airport’s current restrictions

-- a cap of 8.4 million annual passengers, 73 daily departures of the

noisiest flights and other limits.

The city has endorsed a plan to expand the airport from 14 to 18

gates, add 12 of the noisiest flights and increase the passenger limit to

9.8 million travelers.

Cox considered adding the language to the Aviation and Transportation

Security Act passed by Congress on Nov. 16. With that bill, airport

baggage screeners were placed on the federal payroll.

But the Cox language couldn’t be added because the bill had already

passed through a congressional conference committee where leaders hashed

out the differences between two competing bills. Once that occurs, new

amendments can’t be added to a bill.

Cox’s move immediately garnered widespread support in Orange County,

including an endorsement from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose district

includes Costa Mesa.

Rohrabacher and the county’s five other representatives -- Reps. Ken

Calvert, Darrell Issa, Gary Miller, Ed Royce and Loretta Sanchez -- all

signed a letter supporting the move.

The county congressional delegation sent the Nov. 15 letter to Rep.

Don Young (R-Alaska), the chairman of the house’s transportation and

infrastructure committee.

-- Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .