Monterey Airport Safety Plan in Court Limbo

(Oct 2012) – Monterey, Calif.– Monterey Regional Airport officials said Wednesday a Monterey County Superior Court judge upheld most of the District’s Runway Safety Area project, which was hanging in the balance to comply with a federally-mandated upgrade.

General Manager Tom Greer said he was pleased with the court’s judgement so the District can take the steps to get the project moving forward again.

“The Airport District does not have the option of giving up on this project,” said Greer in a news release.

The $46 million project will take three years to complete and will produce hundreds of jobs for local residents and businesses.

The project had undergone a court review because the environmental analysis for the project did not satisfy the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. Some concerns are an eastside access road and the inadequacy in the evaluation of greenhouse gases. The 45 day comment period on the revised environmental draft begins Oct. 11.

There is a safety compliance deadline of 2015 for runway safety areas at public airports around the country.