[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2872 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2872

   To prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from approving under 
   subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code, any project for the 
relocation of Runway 24R at Los Angeles International Airport, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 2007

  Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from approving under 
   subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code, any project for the 
relocation of Runway 24R at Los Angeles International Airport, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``LAX Community Safety Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Los Angeles International Airport (in this Act referred 
        to as ``LAX'') is located in an urban environment and is 
        surrounded on 3 sides by cities and communities in Los Angeles 
        County, California, and is bounded on the fourth side by the 
        Pacific Ocean.
            (2) LAX occupies approximately 3,400 acres, a relatively 
        small area compared to other airports with comparable passenger 
        volumes and aircraft operations.
            (3) LAX has 2 pairs of parallel runways--
                    (A) Runways 24R and 24L, which are located north of 
                the main terminals and known collectively as the North 
                Runways; and
                    (B) Runways 25R and 25L, which are located south of 
                the main terminals and known collectively as the South 
                Runways.
            (4) Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX, has 
        proposed relocating Runway 24R at least 340 feet north of its 
        current location and argues that doing so would reduce runway 
        incursions and improve safety.
            (5) Historically, approximately 80 percent of runway 
        incursions at LAX have occurred on the South Runways, while 
        only 20 percent have occurred on the North Runways. The rate of 
        incursions on the North Runways is comparable to or lower than 
        other busy commercial United States airports. Consequently, 
        relocating Runway 24R farther to the north would not have a 
        significant impact on runway incursions.
            (6) Runway status lights and surface movement equipment 
        have been shown to enhance the margin of safety at airport 
        runways, and installing such lights and equipment on the North 
        Runways would improve safety more effectively and at less cost 
        than relocating Runway 24R farther to the north.
            (7) Relocating Runway 24R farther to the north would 
        increase noise, air pollution, and other environmental impacts 
        on residents, schools, churches, and businesses in--
                    (A) the communities of Westchester and Playa del 
                Rey, which lie adjacent to the north side of LAX; and
                    (B) the City of Inglewood and the communities of 
                Vermont Knolls and South Los Angeles, which lie to the 
                east of LAX underneath the arrival flight path.
            (8) Relocating Runway 24R farther to the north would bring 
        the risk of an aircraft accident closer to homes, schools, 
        churches, and businesses in Westchester and Playa del Rey and, 
        consequently, reduce safety for people who live and work in 
        these communities.
            (9) Relocating Runway 24R farther to the north would 
        necessitate resetting the runway protection zone for LAX, which 
        could require the removal of businesses and homes in 
        Westchester.
            (10) State and local officials who represent the 
        communities surrounding LAX have expressed opposition to 
        relocating Runway 24R farther to the north.
            (11) Community members of Westchester and Playa del Rey 
        have expressed opposition to relocating Runway 24R farther to 
        the north.
            (12) Relocating Runway 24R farther to the north is not in 
        the best interests of the communities surrounding LAX.

SEC. 3. LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

    The Secretary of Transportation may not approve under subtitle VII 
of title 49, United States Code, any project for the relocation of 
Runway 24R, or for construction of a runway north of the location of 
Runway 24R on the date of enactment of this Act, at Los Angeles 
International Airport.
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