[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S1012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COVERDELL (for himself and Mr. Cleland):
  S. 310. A bill to provide for a Dekalb-Peachtree Airport Buyout 
initiative; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


             DEKALB-PEACHTREE AIRPORT BUYOUT COMPLETION ACT

 Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce 
legislation--the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport Buyout Completion Act--which 
accelerates the long-awaited buy-out of homes and businesses around 
Georgia's second busiest airport. Specifically, this legislation grants 
a priority airport designation for the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport and 
authorizes the FAA to make available $35 million for the buyout 
initiative.
  This is a very import project to the citizens of Dekalb County, 
Georgia. In the 1990s, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed to 
buy the businesses and residential properties located in the Dekalb-
Peachtree Airport's Runway Protection Zone. This was the result of FAA 
studies that found increased operations at the airport too noisy and 
too unsafe for residents and businesses in the northern vicinity. While 
the citizens of Georgia and myself are grateful that the FAA has 
assisted in purchasing some of the properties, this financial 
assistance has been extremely slow. The FAA's failure to provide the 
remaining federal financial assistance in a timely manner has caused 
local residents and businesses to remain in limbo and very upset. 
Businesses cannot expand and poorer residents cannot afford to move out 
until the buyout is complete. Those residents who have moved out are 
leasing their homes to lower-income individuals and families. These 
circumstances have also caused the crime rate in the area to 
substantially go up.
  My proposed legislation would help alleviate this problem by 
authorizing the federal funds necessary to complete the buyout of the 
remaining residential and business properties. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues in the Senate on this important proposal and 
urge its speedy consideration.
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