Tuesday, August 12, 2014

(Orange County) Mailbag: Grand jury report gets it wrong on JWA [John Wayne Airport]


August 12, 2014
Daily Pilot
Letter to the Editor

Those of us who are affected by John Wayne Airport's noise and air pollution thank Supervisor John Moorlach for his recent critical comments regarding an Orange County Grand Jury report on the facility.
Moorlach rightfully stated, in the Orange County Register, that the idea of extending a runway in a heavily populated area showed "a naivete that is almost eye-rolling."
Moorlach is absolutely correct. The grand jury report advocated ways for airport expansion, while ignoring the thousands of residents who endure excessive noise and pollution from an airport that should never have been designated for commercial use. It's exceedingly close to homes, schools and parks, some mere blocks from a runway, making the airport dangerous as well as overly intrusive.
Why did the grand jury report ignore published scientific reports that detail the harmful effects of noise and air pollution on a population? Planes overhead emit dangerous chemicals, including particulates, which have proven to be particularly harmful to health.
Worse yet, they travel many miles through the air, infecting unsuspecting people far from the original source. Everyone should seriously question a report that excluded the harmful effects of John Wayne Airport on people while advocating ideas for expansion.
Bonnie O'Neil, Newport Beach

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