FAA BOSS TURNS DOWN REQUEST TO RULE ON BURBANK; LOCAL DEAL PREFERRED, OFFICIAL SAYS.Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control chief Jane Garvey This article is about the aviation adminstrator. For the BBC Radio Five Live presenter, see Jane Garvey (broadcaster). Jane Garvey (Jane Famiano) was head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2002. Garvey earned her B.A. declined Friday to issue a much-anticipated opinion on whether Burbank Airport officials can impose a curfew curfew [O.Fr.,=cover fire], originally a signal, such as the ringing of a bell, to damp the fire, extinguish all lights in the dwelling, and retire for the night. The custom originated as a precaution against fires and was common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. and other restrictions without first getting federal approval. But a spokeswoman for Rep. James Rogan, R-Pasadena, and a lawyer for the city of Burbank said they will continue to push Garvey for a specific answer. Rogan and the city's lawyers had asked whether an exception to the federal Airport Noise and Capacity Act would allow the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to impose noise restrictions. Burbank officials want a curfew on night flights and other restrictions put in place before the airport is allowed to build a new terminal and expand. In a letter to Rogan, Garvey wrote that she feared that stating the FAA's position on the issue would jeopardize jeop·ard·ize tr.v. jeop·ard·ized, jeop·ard·iz·ing, jeop·ard·izes To expose to loss or injury; imperil. See Synonyms at endanger. the city of Burbank and the airport's efforts to come to their own home-grown agreement on airport expansion. ``I am concerned that formally weighing in on the ANCA ANCA Armenian National Committee of America ANCA Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (medical) ANCA Australian National Choral Association ANCA Australian Nature Conservation Agency ANCA Airport Noise and Capacity Act legal issue prematurely may interfere with the ability of the parties to come to consensus based upon their common interests,'' Garvey wrote, while at the same time pledging that the agency will continue to work with all parties. Jeffrey Solsby, a spokesman for Rogan, said the congressman will push for a specific answer on whether the airport authority is exempt from the 1990 federal law, which states that airports cannot impose any new noise rules without FAA approval. ``We specifically asked her to weigh in. We'd like them to make a decision. We'd like them to reply to the request in our letter,'' Solsby said. ``The FAA has the ability to make a ruling that can open the door toward reaching an equitable equitable adj. 1) just, based on fairness and not legal technicalities. 2) refers to positive remedies (orders to do something, not money damages) employed by the courts to solve disputes or give relief. (See: equity) EQUITABLE. solution for all parties.'' Peter Kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. , a lawyer for the city of Burbank, said he's disappointed with Garvey's decision not to issue an opinion. ``Is the FAA going to take a leadership position in finding a solution or is the agency going to be passive? We believe the FAA should be taking a leadership position,'' Kirsch said. Although city and airport officials rarely agree on anything, Victor Gill gill, in weights and measures gill, in weights and measures: see English units of measurement. , a spokesman for the airport, said he too was disappointed Garvey did not provide an answer on the ANCA question. The authority's president and vice president earlier this week asked a similar question in a letter sent this week. If the airport can impose its own curfew and noise restrictions without FAA approval, Gill said airport officials would like to know now. He noted that the airport is about to embark on Verb 1. embark on - get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans a $1 million Part 161 study, which is the first step in applying to the FAA for a curfew and other noise restrictions. ``One wonders why it's premature. We think it's timely,'' Gill said. ``We've had three years of consensus building, and we haven't gotten there yet.'' Garvey could not be reached to comment on her letter Friday. Garvey visited Burbank in August to meet with both sides in the dispute. While she pledged the FAA's help, she cautioned locals that the solution must be crafted locally and that they could not rely on the FAA to solve the problem. While others were disappointed that Garvey did not provide a direct answer on the issue, Burbank Mayor David Golonski said he understands why Garvey is resisting making an iron-clad statement. If the city and the airport put together a curfew proposal based on the exception to the federal noise law, Golonski said he expects Garvey would be willing to give her opinion. ``Whatever solution comes out of this has to be a local solution. Let's put together a package that we all support. That's clearly the message I heard from Jane Garvey,'' Golonski said. ``They are not going to make a ruling on a hypothetical question A mixture of assumed or established facts and circumstances, developed in the form of a coherent and specific situation, which is presented to an expert witness at a trial to elicit his or her opinion. . They can't just say, yeah a curfew, that would be OK.'' |
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