Response from QUEST president

From: William List
To: Daily Record
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 3:24 PM
Subject: "letter"


Your article "Airport plan to muffle noise will not work, study shows" that appeared on March 21 makes it sound as if Morristown Airport management willingly and eagerly performed the Runway 23 departure study in response to complaints from Madison residents. If this was the case, why did it take almost two years from the time they were notified by the FAA that this study was required to actually start it? And why, despite multiple requests from residents and local elected officials, was it necessary for Congressman Frelinghuysen to intervene and call a special meeting of airport management, FAA representatives, elected local officials and local resident representatives to convince airport management to honor their obligation to do this study. After all, it was the airport management, with input from local residents, that petitioned the FAA for a possible change in departure path back in June 2000.

Your article does not make clear the fact that even if a new departure procedure was recommended and implemented, the FAA would continue to follow the current departure paths for runway 23 because Morristown departures would continue to be in conflict with other air traffic at the same altitude headed for Newark Liberty and Teterboro, and the FAA will not modify these paths.

Your article also makes no mention of the public meeting being hosted by Morristown Airport management on March 26 at 7:00pm at the Westin Hotel where residents can learn about the study and ask questions of airport management, FAA representatives and the consultants that did the study.

William List, QUEST President
(QUieter Environment through Sound Thinking)
26 Rose Avenue
Madison, NJ 07940-1110
973-822-2738 (day/evening)