Airport Debate Rages On

* Most of the published letters and editorials regarding the “El Toro airport debate” are quite misleading. The only “debate” remaining is what kind of airport can be, or should be built.

South Countians need to get past “Should there be an airport?” to “What kind of airport will it be?” When they arrive at that point, their input will be carefully considered. Only then will we find a happy medium that will protect airport area residents, allow safe takeoffs and landings, and give the county the airport it needs for the next century.

All other “airport debate,” which The Times seems to be encouraging, is counterproductive to ending the rhetoric and moving ahead with a suitable airport.

MICHAEL STEINER

Costa Mesa

* In a few days the Orange County Board of Supervisors in all likelihood will certify a useless, flawed environmental impact report for El Toro Marine Corps Air Station and press forward with an airport plan.

Recently, an airline pilots association, air traffic controller, Southern California Assn. of Governments and the Concord Consulting group have all raised serious questions about air passenger demand, environmental constraints, congested air space and county-contrived economic forecasts. How can the supervisors choose from among three alternatives without accurate information?

As a mother of four children, the bedtime hour has included the fable, “The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg.” The moral of this story has a message for us. Much has been said about the need to “seize upon the opportunity to build a second airport and revitalize our economy.” The golden goose is not an airport. It is the priceless quality of life. It is the reason most of us moved here. In addition to jobs, growth and opportunity, our quality of life is derived from clean air, warm sunshine, mild climate, canyons, mountains and a beautiful coastline.

We have profited greatly because of the desire of businesses and prospective residents to locate here. County home prices are among the highest in the country. Why, when we reap the benefits of these golden eggs every day, do we threaten to kill the goose? Why would we severely damage an entire region merely to satisfy the short-term greed of a few who will benefit from another airport?

El Toro may ultimately be the best place to catch an international flight. If it achieves that status, however, I assure you that Orange County will no longer be the best place to raise a family.

MELODY CARRUTH

Mayor Pro Tem

Laguna Hills

* I recently attended the meeting of the Orange County Airport Commission at which the panel voted unanimously to continue the process to establish an international airport at the El Toro Marine base.

Their vote certainly was not surprising, nor were the subsequent votes of the various other county committees assigned to study the proposal.

This controversial plan is unprecedented. In recent years, nowhere in the United States has there been a major international airport imposed so close to a suburban population center.

Clearly, the existing military airfield, with its sporadic noise and limited use, does not have the negative environmental impact of a 38-million-passenger airport causing tons of air pollution, causing gridlock on surface streets and freeways, reducing property values and degrading the quality of life for the families of south Orange County.

The fact is, these major problems associated with a major commercial airport cannot be mitigated to a level of acceptability for the population of south Orange County. The planned 24-hours-a-day operation with its 1,200 daily takeoffs and landings over our rooftops will be an untenable environment for the hundreds of thousands of people who moved into this community when no such airport existed. It is evident to me that the concerns of South County concerning this issue have been brushed aside by county staff and elected officials.

However, the airport is not a foregone conclusion, as the North County airport proponents would have you believe. It is time for all residents of South County to get involved.

Since we have not been represented by our county government throughout the study period, we must express our concerns for this outrageous plan to our city, state and federal elected representatives.

Only in numbers, as a community, can we win in this important battle to save our region from the inevitable degradation related to building an international airport at El Toro.

RON DAVIS

Laguna Niguel

* Opponents of an El Toro airport have stated the county’s recent airplane crash is a reason to reject the new airport at El Toro. However, after examining the facts it is more logical to conclude the accident is actually a powerful reason for having a commercial airport at El Toro.

John Wayne Airport is one of the more unsafe airports in America. It has far too many flights that must use a single and relatively short landing strip. Because it is land bound this situation cannot improve. In contrast, El Toro has four existing large runways. Does it make sense to expect small JWA to double its flights and at the same time tear out four large airstrips at El Toro?

Most accidents occur when the plane is in the process of landing or taking off. Obviously, it is far more dangerous at John Wayne because of its extremely small “buffer” zone. JWA is on 470 acres, which is immediately surrounded by homes and businesses. On the other hand El Toro is ten times larger on approximately 4,700 acres, giving a much larger safety margin.

JWA must allow both large commercial and small private planes to use the same single landing strip. This poses an additional risk.

BONNIE O’NEIL

Newport Beach