PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: March 26, 1998
SECTION: Part A; Page 1; Metro Desk
BYLINE: Lorenza Munoz and Shelby Grad
DATELINE: Irvine, California area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Irene Brace, director, Foothill Communities Association; Laura Thomas, president, Orange Park Acres Association

The Los Angeles Times reports that communities in the center of Orange county are beginning to wonder if an El Toro commercial airport would cause noise problems for them. County officials are scrambling to find ways to route flights so they don't pass too close to communities.

The article explains that although seventy percent of flights are planned to pass over South county residents, who are generally against the airport, the rest of the flights will take off to the north and possibly disrupt central county residents. Also, these northbound flights will be the heaviest, noisiest aircraft. Until now, central county residents have generally supported El Toro's airport because they believe it would be better than the air traffic they get from John Wayne Airport. This support is important for the expansion proposal.

The article explains that the County Board of Supervisors is split 3-2 in favor of the airport. If central county residents stop supporting the proposal, the balance on the Board could shift against El Toro.

The article reports that although the Federal Aviation Administration will have final say on approval of flight paths, they won't comment until a full plan is developed by the Board of Supervisors.

According to the article, voters passed an initiative in 1995 that paved the way for a commercial airport. The strongest support for the plan has come from Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Anaheim. But recently, community leaders in Tustin and Orange have become more aware that all cargo and international flights would fly directly over their communities, and they have started questioning the current plan. In addition, the article reports, a county mailer titled "The Myth Buster" unintentionally alarmed some central county residents by saying that the communities directly under the northerly flight path were Cowan Heights and Tustin. Don Saltarelli, an East Orange resident, a consultant with Newport Beach on the airport issue, and a former county supervisor who voted in favor of the airport in 1996, said takeoffs over central county communities "would have a very significant effect on my feelings" about the airport plan. He said, "We feel that in our area we have enough flights coming into John Wayne. Traffic into John Wayne comes directly over my house. It's important that before any decisions are made we assess the noise impact."

Meanwhile, the Foothill Communities Association., a homeowners group that represents nearly all of North Tustin, already has voted to oppose the airport because of potential noise, according to Irene Brace, the group's director. The Orange Park Acres Association in East Orange will vote on the airport issue next week. Laura Thomas, the president of the group, said the members are worried about the airport's potential impact on their quiet community. She said, "We are equestrian and rural and we want to maintain that."

The article explains that county officials currently are preparing four options for the Marine base, and their plans are expected to be released next month. At this point, it's unclear how much noise the central county communities would experience under the proposals. An earlier county proposal found that jet noise would increase in some parts of Tustin, but would remain below federal standards of 65 decibels averaged over 24 hours. In addition, the earlier study found that commercial aircraft would be quieter than the current military jets.

Another study, called the "Terminal En Route Procedures" study, is expected to be presented to the Board of Supervisors on May 5. This study will determine the feasibility of directing planes due north toward the Santa Ana Mountains where they would have to gain altitude quickly to avoid the mountains and to not interfere with air traffic from John Wayne Airport. After a final plan is agreed to by the county, it will be sent to the FAA, which will review it for meeting federal standards.

The article also notes that the nation's two largest pilots unions, the Air Line Pilots Association and the Air Pilots Association, have complained that the county is placing noise considerations ahead of safety concerns by having the majority of flights take off to the east instead of the west. The pilots unions object to easterly takeoffs, because airplanes would be forced to take off up a sloped runway, toward the mountains, and with a tail wind. The unions haven't taken a position on the northerly departures, the article notes.

Some aviation experts, however, say northerly takeoffs could raise questions about the future of John Wayne Airport. Don Segner, a former official with the Federal Aviation Administration who is now retired and lives in Laguna Beach, said planes would not be able to depart to the north if John Wayne stays open because the flights would interfere with John Wayne's approach path. If El Toro becomes a commercial airport, the county's plans for John Wayne are still unclear, the article says. The county's reuse plan calls for John Wayne to become a general aviation airport, but county supervisors made it clear they wanted it to remain a commercial operation when they approved of the initial plan in 1996.
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Source: No Noise , is published by "The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse", a non-profit organization with extensive online noise related resources.