[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 143 (Sunday, October 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  GRANTING CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AIRPORT AUTHORITY 
                              COMPACT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ROSCOE G. BARTLETT

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 1998

  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, S. J. Res. 51 would provide 
Congress' consent to a compact between the States of West Virginia and 
Maryland establishing the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority. This 
legislation has been passed by the Senate and has the support of the 
Senators from both States and the Members of Congress from the 
districts concerned.
  This bill is of great importance to my constituents as well as to me 
personally. As you may know, in 1944 the city of Cumberland, located in 
Allegany County, Maryland, purchased land 3 miles south of the city in 
Wiley Ford, West Virginia for the construction of an airport. In 1976 
the States of Maryland and West Virginia entered into a compact 
establishing the Potomac Highlands Airport Authority.
  The need for the compact stems from the unusual nature of the 
airport. It is located in one State, but owned by a municipality in 
another. Accordingly there has been a certain degree of uncertainty 
about the ability of the airport authority to guarantee to pay for 
loans they may receive. This was discovered as the Authority was in the 
process of undertaking a 20-year $10 million expansion program and had 
applied for a loan from the Department of Agriculture. In its denial of 
the loan, the Department replied that it could not provide the loan 
unless Congress were to provide its consent to the bi-state compact 
between West Virginia and Maryland.
  The loan from the USDA represented an important part of this 
expansion program. While congressional approval of the compact will 
obviously facilitate the improvement of the airport specifically, it 
will also have a positive impact on the economic development of region 
as a whole.
  As you may know, the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport, is located 
in rural Appalachia. According to the Department of Labor's Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, Allegany County, Maryland has an unemployment rate of 
8.5 percent, almost 90 percent higher than the national average. This 
number does not even consider the great number of people who have 
become so discouraged that they have stopped seeking employment. The 
simple reason for this high unemployment rate is that the area has 
suffered from the closing of a number of employers and has been unable 
to attract employers sufficient to replace the lost jobs.
  The critical task in the coming years will be for local and State 
leaders to attract new employers to the area. In working with 
businesses that are considering moving to area, one of the critical 
deciding factors for their relocation is access to first rate 
infrastructure. Businesses considering moving to the region will need 
to know commercial aviation users. The Potomac Highland Airport 
Authority has a 20-year plan that will allow it to expand to 
accommodate the increased utilization of the facility. The House's 
approval of this bill is an important step in providing the Potomac 
Highlands Airport Authority with the tools necessary to be an active 
participant in the region's expansion.

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