Proposed Airport at El Toro Base

I lived in Pasadena for six years and gradually developed very serious asthma that necessitated taking increasing doses of strong medication. Even those doses could not control the asthma, and my activities became more and more restricted; my health went downhill.

About four years ago I moved to Laguna Hills, and since then my asthma has gradually improved so that I am again enjoying good health and have an active lifestyle. I dread the thought that tons more air pollutants will be dropped on our heads here in Leisure World if a large airport is built on our doorstep. Here too, the prevailing winds will keep the smog from dissipating rapidly.

Rather than making more and larger airports, we ought to look more seriously into alternative means of transportation.

HAZEL HOLLREISER, Laguna Hills

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Don DeVries correctly states that some of us do not want the $4-billion gift of El Toro airport (Letters, Nov. 15). Unfortunately, he then uses incorrect information in accusing Supervisor Tom Wilson of “lies and distortions.” DeVries states that cargo aircraft are not typically the oldest, noisiest, most polluting and least safe aircraft in use, citing the aircraft United Parcel Service and Federal Express use at John Wayne Airport. He also asserts that air cargo is not an overnight operation.

UPS and FedEx have one flight each in and out of John Wayne; they each use the newer model aircraft there because these meet the strict noise restrictions at John Wayne. There are no similar noise restrictions planned for El Toro airport, so this is a bad comparison.

Why don’t we look at a nearby example of an airport like El Toro with no curfew or strict noise restrictions but with cargo operations: Ontario. UPS and FedEx both have large cargo operations. The vast majority of cargo aircraft operations are conducted by older, noisier, higher-polluting models.

Almost all cargo operations by these companies at Ontario are conducted between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m., just as Wilson says.

Sounds to me like Wilson is the one with the facts.

DOUGLAS K. BLAUL, Portola Hills