[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 78 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    INTRODUCTION OF AN ACT TO END GRIDLOCK AT OUR NATION'S CRITICAL 
                                AIRPORTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2001

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, recently, there has been much said and 
written about the possibility of new runways at Chicago's O'Hare 
International Airport. Some might think new runways are a new idea. 
They are not.
  In fact, in 1991, the Chicago Delay Task Force, which was composed of 
representatives from Chicago's Department of Aviation, the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA), air traffic control, and airport users, 
recommended that new runways be added to O'Hare in order to reduce 
delays and improve efficiency. The final report of the Chicago Delay 
Task Force reads that new O'Hare runways ``represent the greatest 
opportunity to reduce delays in Chicago, particularly during bad 
weather conditions.'' Unfortunately, this recommendation was ignored 
because the governor at the time was opposed to new runways at O'Hare. 
(Fortunately, most of the other physical and technical improvements 
that the Task Force recommended were implemented and, as a result, 
delays at O'Hare decreased by 40 percent between 1988 and 1998.)
  Fast-forward a decade to 2001. Delays are once again on the rise at 
O'Hare. In fact, according to the FAA, O'Hare was ranked the third most 
delayed airport in the country in 2000 with slightly more than 6 
percent of all flights delayed more than 15 minutes. Once again, a 
Chicago Delay Task Force has been convened and representative from the 
Department of Aviation, The FAA, and the airport users will study 
O'Hare Airport to determine what can be done to most effectively reduce 
delays.
  No one will be surprised when the Task Force determines--once again--
that adding runways are the most effective way to reduce delays. This 
is a well-known fact. Mitre, NASA, and other technical organizations 
have reviewed all of the capacity enhancing technologies and procedures 
that are in development and have concluded that the cumulative effect 
of implementing all of these technologies would increase capacity only 
by roughly 5 to 15 percent. In contrast, building new runways at 
capacity constrained airports increases capacity by 40 to 50 percent. 
Additional runways--at O'Hare and throughout the nation--are the answer 
to the congestion problem plaguing our national aviation system.
  Additional runways are especially critical at O'Hare Airport. Chicago 
is, and always has been, the nation's transportation hub. O'Hare is a 
domestic and international hub that serves not only Chicago passengers 
but also passengers that pass through Chicago on their way to 
destinations across the United States and across the globe. O'Hare is 
the lynchpin of our national aviation system. Therefore, the congestion 
and delays that plague O'Hare also plague the rest of our national 
aviation system. Delays at O'Hare ripple throughout the system, earning 
O'Hare the undesirable designation as a ``chokepoint'' in our national 
aviation system. If O'Hare remains a chokepoint, it threatens the 
reliability and efficiency of the entire United States aviation system.
  The fate of new runways at O'Hare rests with George Ryan, the 
Governor of Illinois. A small provision tucked away in Illinois law 
effectively gives the Governor the ability to approve or deny 
development at O'Hare Airport. Unfortunately, despite Governor Ryan's 
exemplary record in terms of transportation investment, the Governor is 
politically hamstrung in what he can do regarding additional runways at 
O'Hare.
  As the U.S. Representative for residents living near Midway Airport, 
I know that quality-of-life issues in communities surrounding airports 
are very important. The City of Chicago Department of Aviation has been 
quick to address these important quality-of-life issues. In fact, the 
City of Chicago has spent over $30 million dollars at O'Hare alone on 
noise mitigation efforts, such as installing a $4 million state-of-the-
art noise monitoring system, constructing a $3.2 million hush-house on 
the airfield, and soundproofing 75 schools and 3,934 homes for a total 
cost of $309 million. The City of Chicago has been mentioned as a model 
for the nation for its noise mitigation efforts.
  Yet, despite these mitigation efforts, some of the airport's 
neighbors still seek to constrain the growth of O'Hare. Unfortunately, 
this group has the attention of their local political leaders in the 
state legislature as well as the Governor. Governor Ryan has offered to 
review plans for new runways but local politics, I believe, prevent the 
Governor from ever seriously considering new runways at O'Hare.
  For months, I have been working quietly behind the scenes with all of 
the major parties involved in moving new runways at O'Hare forward. It 
is clear that local politics will prevent new runways from being added 
at O'Hare. Of course, local concerns must be addressed. But, a powerful 
few cannot continue to derail future development of O'Hare 
International Airport, the heart and soul of our national aviation 
system. Therefore, a national solution is needed.
  For this reason, I am introducing legislation today that, by 
preempting certain state laws, will elevate the decision to build new 
runways at O'Hare to the federal level. O'Hare needs new runways to 
remain a viable and competitive airport. Nothing is going to change at 
O'Hare unless the federal government gets involved. The federal 
government recognizes the importance and necessity of new runways at 
O'Hare and is ready to act to make them a reality. An Act to End 
Gridlock at Our Nation's Critical Airports allows the federal 
government to do just that. I urge my colleagues to support this vital 
legislation.

                          ____________________