LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Mayor Jim Hahn today applauded the City Council for voting to move forward with the plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Mayor Hahn was joined by members of the business, labor, environmental and residential communities today at City Hall to celebrate final override of a County land-use commission opposed to the plan, the final certification of the LAX Master Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and the adoption of the Consensus Plan.
"Today the City of Los Angeles demonstrated a shared commitment to creating a safer, more secure airport," said Mayor Hahn. "My primary interest in improving the airport is to increase the security of LAX's employees, travelers and infrastructure. This plan will enhance the safety of the millions of passengers who move through the airport every year."
As a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Mayor Hahn directed Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to develop a new alternative to airport modernization that focused on safety and security, which resulted in the LAX Master Plan Alternative D, the Enhanced Safety and Security Alternative.
The Consensus Plan, developed by Mayor Hahn and City Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski, is a process for airport modernization that would allow LAWA to move forward on elements of the LAX Master Plan Alternative D that enjoy the support of many stakeholders. These elements include realignment of the southside airfield, a new consolidated rental car facility, a new intermodal transportation center that links to regional transit, an automated people mover, and an expansion of the FlyAway program.
"The City Council today indicated that they were ready to begin the process of modernizing LAX to both meet the needs of the aviation industry and balance the concerns of the surrounding communities," said Councilmember Miscikowski. "The LAX Master Plan will provide for the safety, security and convenience to the traveling public. Meanwhile, the Master Plan, the Stakeholder Liaison and the new Community Benefits Agreement will allow local communities to have a real voice in mitigating the impacts of daily flight operations."
The Consensus Plan would also require additional studies involving vehicular traffic impacts, aviation activity and security issues before "yellow-lighted" elements of Alternative D were implemented. These elements include a new ground transportation center located east of the current passenger terminal area; northern runway improvements; demolishing Terminals 1, 2, 3 and the north end of the Tom Bradley International Terminal; and construction of a new western terminal.
"The long-awaited modernization of L.A.'s international air gateway is finally at hand," said LAWA Executive Director Kim Day. "Upon receiving final federal approval early next year, we will be ready to embark on a full decade of construction projects and community mitigation measures that will benefit all LAX stakeholders and the Southern California economy."
Approval of the Consensus Plan also enables the city to move forward with an historic agreement between the City of Los Angeles, LAWA and the LAX Coalition for Economic, Environmental and Educational Justice, which includes more than 20 community groups, environmental organizations, school districts and labor unions.
At over $500 million, the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) represents the largest and most comprehensive CBA ever negotiated.
"Last year I directed LAWA staff and my own staff to work with the coalition to negotiate an agreement that would provide environmental, economic and educational benefits to the most impacted communities surrounding the airport," said Mayor Hahn. "This Community Benefits Agreement is a national model for airport development and serves to enhance the quality of life for those living around the airport. In the spirit of cooperation and trust, together we have developed a comprehensive plan of which we can all be proud."
Some of those benefits include:
-- Increased funding for the sound proofing of homes and all
affected schools;
-- Retrofitting diesel construction vehicles and other diesel
vehicles operating on the tarmac to curb dangerous air
pollutants by up to 90%.
-- Electrifying airplane gates to eliminate pollution from jet
engine idling;
-- Studying the health impacts of airport operations on
surrounding communities and making those studies public
on the LAWA web site;
-- $15 million in job training funds for airport and aviation-
related jobs;
-- Creating a local hiring program to give priority to local
residents, low-income and special needs individuals for new LAX
jobs; and
-- Enhanced opportunities for local, minority and women-owned
businesses in the modernization of LAX.
"This agreement is a milestone for the growing community benefits movement," said Rev. William Smart, senior community organizer at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, which pioneered the concept of community benefits agreements and played a lead role in the negotiations. "We have demonstrated that when communities have a place at the table, economic development works better for everyone."
"This agreement is a win for Los Angeles' environment, for the community and for the airport," said Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza, policy director of the Los Angeles office of Environmental Defense, one of the lead organizations involved in the negotiations. "It shows how early and frank negotiations can avoid conflict and integrate real environmental, social and economic benefits into large-scale development projects. By easing the pollution burden from LAX, this agreement secures a huge health and quality-of-life victory for area residents. This agreement, and the process that created it, can now serve as a model for major urban development projects nationwide."
Approval of this plan means a significant boost to the local economy. Los Angeles County will also see an additional $3.7 billion in economic activity as a result of today's vote, and the modernization will create 49,000 construction-related jobs.
The last comprehensive update of LAX was completed in 1956, and the last major upgrades to terminals and airport roads were completed before the 1984 Olympics.