Dear Editor, Maybe SMAAC's legislative agenda is gaining some traction

BY JIM SPENSLEY

During the last three sessions, the South Metro Airport Action Council urged the Minnesota Legislature to pay more attention to goings-on at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

We thought that the Metropolitan Airports Commission dismantling the noise mitigation program in 2002, "settling" the massive fuel leaks matter in 2003-04, getting fined for pollution in 2004-05, refusing to investigate the collision of two airliners at a gate in 2005, bungling an environmental hearing in 2006, or turning over the Lindbergh Terminal to Northwest Airlines and its affiliates might have raised more eyebrows in St. Paul.

Legislative leaders up until 2006-07 merely said, with a wink, "We don't want to mess with local government, Metropolitan government, or Executive Branch authorities; the MAC's decisions, perhaps not the best, are not our problem." But, SMAAC was questioning if legal authorities had been exceeded and legislative intent ignored. A few legislators agreed, and three areas were identified:
1. The Legislature should limit further gate expansion at MSP's Lindbergh Terminal for safety and economic reasons. More gates spawn larger banks, higher rates and more congestion. Hub expansion means more flights without increasing airline competition or local-passenger capacity.

2. Most, if not all, airport commissioners should be selected by the Legislature in a more open way. Alternatively, a new airports authority should be created with more public accessibility and more balance of interests.

3. More legislative audits and oversight is needed on the MSP capital improvements program. All environmental mitigation projects (such as compliance with NPDES permit-limits, ground water decontamination, hazardous chemical containment, and noise mitigation (such as the SIP, noise berms and low-frequency sound attenuation) should be completed before new projects adding flight capacity.

Focusing on governance issues, the Joint Committee, Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs and Transportation Working Group, will hold a public hearing September 19 in Eagan. Rep. Debra Hilstrom and Rep Frank Hornstein, are the co-chairs. Rep. Hornstein (DFL, Minneapolis) has been central to public concerns about safety, environmental regulation, high fares, poor airline performance, and lack of airline competition reaching the Legislature.

SMAAC realizes that citizen complaints have been, and will be, voiced about noise and other aggravations. Also, the buck will freely be passed from MAC to FAA to airlines to Congress, to municipalities, and to State agencies. So, folks, let's get together on the things the State Legislature can and should do about our gripes. Yes, federal changes are needed, too, but let's arrange for airline lobbyists and overly-compliant agencies to have a more reluctant partner in their schemes for MSP.