Sep 22, 2007
Officials to fight FAA decision to route planes over Wilton, surrounding region
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Officials in the area are still trying to make waves over a flight plan redesign that would bring planes over towns in Fairfield County, including Wilton.
“We’re going to fight it, we have to fight it,” First Selectman William Brennan said to the Republican Town Committee at its meeting last week. “It’s a complex problem that’s not just a Wilton problem” but also affects other towns in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.
Mr. Brennan said the FAA’s new plan was researched over nine years, and residents should keep that in mind. In any case, he was against having more planes flying over Wilton’s skies.
“The federal government is not above the law,” Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said during a recent rally in New Canaan to protest the redesign.
On Wednesday, Sept. 5, the FAA announced it had chosen a flight plan redesign that will redirect flights.
“They should go back and start all over again and pull us out of there,” said Senator Judith Freedman, Republican of the 26th District, who represents Wilton. “Leave it to the airlines to cut back on their schedules.”
In a phone interview Monday, Ms. Freedman said she thinks airlines should be responsible in scheduling flights where the planes will be filled, instead of those flights where there are a handful of people on them. She said she has written letters to “everyone I could think of” and hopes Congressman Christopher Shays can “protect us.”
During the rally in New Canaan, Mr. Blumenthal criticized the FAA, calling it a “lawless government” for not disclosing an environmental impact statement to the public, which he said can be viewed as a violation of the law.
New Canaan Environmental Group President Richard Stowe said “petitions are good, but not enough ... we need to have a mass write-in to demand a public hearing.”
The flight path redesign is supposed to direct air traffic over Fairfield County only during peak times to help congestion at Newark Airport. Mr. Stowe expressed concern over this, citing the possibility this could grow into a larger problem if allowed to proceed unchecked. He said the New Jersey airport should be held accountable as well as the FAA.
State Rep. John Hetherington, Republican of the 125th District, who represents Wilton and New Canaan, said in an interview Tuesday there isn’t much that can happen on a state level unless towns work together.
“We have to explore legal opportunities to challenge the proposed changes,” Mr. Hetherington said. “That’s not going to be cheap. I think the towns need to band together.”
Retired attorney Michael G. Kroposki explained how the FAA has been able to circumvent this requirement.
He said environmental concerns are determined by the total amount of delays causing planes to stay in the air, thus raising pollution levels. Calling the Fairfield County (Stamford) study a “blue-sky analysis,” Mr. Kroposki said the study was performed on a fair-weather day — one that would have the least amount of planes in holding patterns around the area.
“With all due respect, the FAA is the most arrogant agency I’ve dealt with,” said Mr. Shays, who had a bill to block FAA redesign funding defeated 65-360 in the House and has been denied requests to meet with FAA officials.
Even if the redesign is approved and air traffic over Fairfield County increases, Mr. Shays suggested an “FAA watch group” be formed all around the district. This widespread group would work to consistently gather data on airspace use and file complaints with the government.
“Our laws do not give us the tools to confront the FAA,” Mr. Shays added, citing the need for citizens to use their right to make their voices heard. “Quality of life matters.”
—Additional reporting by Robin Walluck and Justin Reynolds
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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