Antonovich fights L.A. mayor over airport

In a letter responding to Riordan's published statements in a Los Angeles newspaper, Antonovich said Riordan's "one-size-fitsall solution to our future airport requirements just doesn't fit the facts."

Citing "already serious problems with noise and pollution being experienced by residents near LAX," Antonovich said, "Building runways into the Pacific Ocean, as Mayor Riordan proposes, is stupid, as is his plan to excavate beneath existing airport facilities, adding further to the congestion . . . "

Riordan, who is traveling in Asia this week, wasn't available to comment on Antonovich's response. However, a member of Riordan's staff restated the L.A. mayor's position on LAX expansion and the future of Palmdale Regional Airport, both under control of the Los Angeles Department of Airports.

The Riordan staffer said "the mayor has always supported the expansion of Los Angeles International. He believes it should continue to be our gateway to the Pacific Rim, and he wants to keep all the focus on the expansion plan."

As to the future development of Palmdale, the Riordan staff member said "he believes those other airports (Palmdale and Ontario) will grow in time."

Antonovich's letter argues that the LAX expansion "makes no sense, economically, regionally or environmentally."

Remarking that "the 405 Freeway is severely overtaxed," Antonovich argued "a regional air transportation facility at Palmdale Airport would provide for the transportation needs of the 3.5 million people residing in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, as well as our neighbors in Ventura, Kern and San Bernardino counties."

In 1969 the city of Los Angeles Department of Airports began to acquire 18,000 undeveloped acres east of Palmdale, with plans to develop an airport to relieve air traffic congestion at LAX.

Although what was then called the Palmdale Intercontinental Airport never got off the drawing board, the Department of Airports did establish a presence at Air Force Plant 42 under a joint-use agreement with the Defense Department. The agreement allows for daily commercial airline service operating from the Palmdale Regional Airport terminal.

While there is growing opposition to the LAX expansion plans in the cities around the sprawling urban airport, Antonovich wrote that development in Palmdale "has the support of the area's elected officials and the people who find it difficult to drive the already congested freeways to LAX."

Calling rail service to the Antelope Valley "the first step in a vital rail link," Antonovich noted that the California High Speed Rail Commission adopted a highspeed rail route running through the Antelope Valley. He said "this line could easily be routed to serve the airport, providing even better access to all of Los Angeles County."

Antonovich concluded, "It is time for our elected officials to deal with the facts and not the fat of pork-barrel politics."