BILL MAY PULL LOCAL CONTROL FROM AIRPORT BURBANK OFFICIALS VOW FIGHT.Byline: Katie Cooper Staff Writer BURBANK - A bill pending before the House Transportation Committee would override state laws requiring local approval of airport development, and Burbank officials are girding gird 1 v. gird·ed or girt , gird·ing, girds v.tr. 1. a. To encircle with a belt or band. b. To fasten or secure (clothing, for example) with a belt or band. for battle if the measure progresses. The proposal, introduced last week by Rep. William Lipinski, D-Ill., would prohibit local governments from exercising any authority over development at the nation's 68 largest airports. Peter Kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. , Burbank's special counsel on airport matters, said the bill would strike at the heart of an appellate court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. ruling that upheld the city's power to approve or reject a new passenger terminal at Burbank Airport - which is ranked 59th in size in the nation. ``We are definitely keeping a close eye on this bill,'' City Manager Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom said Thursday. ``We'll be talking very soon about what measures we'll take if we need to. We take any threat of federal action very seriously.'' Lipinski, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, said last week that he introduced the measure to end congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport O'Hare International Airport is an airport located in Chicago, Illinois, United States, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop. It is the largest hub of United Airlines (whose headquarters is in downtown Chicago) and the second-largest hub of American Airlines (after , where neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. communities have blocked expansion for 20 years. Lipinski said that without federal action, local political leaders ``will prevent new runways from being added.'' Victor Gill, a spokesman for the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority said he, too, will be closely following the bill's progress. ``When does local debate ... start to rise to the level of national significance?'' Gill said. ``What is interesting is that there is no particular authority to govern the outcome of that debate.'' Kirsch said it is too soon in the legislative process to determine whether the bill has a chance of passage. But he said its timing is significant because Congress is feeling pressure to respond to growing passenger frustration over flight delays. ``I think if it was introduced last year, nobody would have paid much attention to it,'' Kirsch said. If the bill appears to be making headway head·way n. 1. Forward movement or the rate of forward movement, especially of a ship. 2. Progress toward a goal. 3. The clear vertical space beneath a ceiling or archway; clearance. 4. , Kirsch said his Denver-based law firm would strenuously lobby for its defeat. ``If it has a chance, it would seriously, negatively affect (Burbank) ... and let's just say our firm has the capacity to bring substantial pressure down on Congress,'' he said. |
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