Saturday, December 6, 2008
Fantasy Airport
Forget Fantasy Football. I hear a sequel is coming out called Fantasy Airport with Robert Powell playing Ricardo Monteban's part and Todd Eachus replacing Tatoo.
DEP Cited Threat To Forest At Airport's Proposed Location
Gladstone Partners announced their proposal for an airport at the end of January, 2007. However, according to this document on the DEP website the Commonwealth never forgot the original proposal from 2000. Here is what it states on page 10 from the Citizens Advisory Council 2005 Regional Report Draft:
Mr. Magill also raised concerns about how state programs are implemented and overseen to ensure that they are accomplishing their goals. For example, he questioned whether Growing Greener funds are sometimes used improperly for greenfields development. He asked why CAN DO redevelopment projects are located in a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) and if DEP gets a say in the KOZ designation. In this case, CAN DO destroyed a tract of globally rare pitch pine forest to build Humboldt Industrial Park, and a proposed cargo airport near Valmont Industrial Park is threatening the last 10,000 acres of this forest.
According to The Nature Conservancy, the land surrounding the proposed airport site contains areas of high biological importance (9):
*Humboldt Barren – A Ridgetop Dwarf Tree Forest Natural Community occurs at this site. Though covering many ridgetop plateaus in Luzerne County and this part of the state, this habitat is considered globally rare. Current disturbances to this site include a large utility line, a network of gravel roads that may act as firebreaks, and mine tailings at the border of the natural community. In addition to the proposed airport, fire suppression, chemical maintenance of the powerline right-of-way, logging for pulpwood and ATV use are potential threats to this site.
(9) On April 5, 2000, federal legislation was passed that provided funding for airports in Pennsylvania’s northeast region. In particular, the “Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century” provided the federal share of the cost of a feasibility study for a proposed cargo airport near the intersection of southern Luzerne County and Carbon and Schuylkill counties. Luzerne County committed to paying the estimated $20,000 - $30,000 local share for the study. According to DEP, this project is in limbo because Luzerne County never followed up with the required public meetings.
With the contents of that report I question how any responsbile person could have offered to the public that the proposed airport would be operational by 2010.
Mr. Magill also raised concerns about how state programs are implemented and overseen to ensure that they are accomplishing their goals. For example, he questioned whether Growing Greener funds are sometimes used improperly for greenfields development. He asked why CAN DO redevelopment projects are located in a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) and if DEP gets a say in the KOZ designation. In this case, CAN DO destroyed a tract of globally rare pitch pine forest to build Humboldt Industrial Park, and a proposed cargo airport near Valmont Industrial Park is threatening the last 10,000 acres of this forest.
According to The Nature Conservancy, the land surrounding the proposed airport site contains areas of high biological importance (9):
*Humboldt Barren – A Ridgetop Dwarf Tree Forest Natural Community occurs at this site. Though covering many ridgetop plateaus in Luzerne County and this part of the state, this habitat is considered globally rare. Current disturbances to this site include a large utility line, a network of gravel roads that may act as firebreaks, and mine tailings at the border of the natural community. In addition to the proposed airport, fire suppression, chemical maintenance of the powerline right-of-way, logging for pulpwood and ATV use are potential threats to this site.
(9) On April 5, 2000, federal legislation was passed that provided funding for airports in Pennsylvania’s northeast region. In particular, the “Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century” provided the federal share of the cost of a feasibility study for a proposed cargo airport near the intersection of southern Luzerne County and Carbon and Schuylkill counties. Luzerne County committed to paying the estimated $20,000 - $30,000 local share for the study. According to DEP, this project is in limbo because Luzerne County never followed up with the required public meetings.
With the contents of that report I question how any responsbile person could have offered to the public that the proposed airport would be operational by 2010.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Tamika McCree is the Air Cargo Stakeholder Manager at the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration Headquarters. She works as part of the Transportation Sector Network Management. She can be reached at (571)227-2632. Having aviation experience I called on May 30, 2007 her to ask a plain and simple question. Does the current law require ALL cargo transported in aircrafts to be screened?
What you see above is a PowerPoint slide she sent to me that she uses in her presentations. The only cargo transported in aircraft that would need to be screened, if the law were passed in the future, was items transported in PASSENGER aircraft. Since Hazleton's proposed cargo airport would be a cargo only facility, not one piece that travels through that operation would need to be screened.
With regards to the proposed law Anthony Kimery wrote in this reportdated March 26, 2007, "100 Percent Air, Ship Cargo Screening Unlikely to Get Past Congress" "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says it ain’t so. Retailers and other special interest lobbyists opposed to the proposition say it ain’t so.
What ain’t so, all these disparate sources assure, is that 100 percent of air and ship cargo arriving on US shores can’t be screened for conventional high explosive, radiological or nuclear bombs -- simply because the technology just doesn’t exist. And even if it did, there’s not enough manpower, they all maintain. Furthermore, even if it all could be screened, it’d slow commerce, bringing our way of life to a grinding halt, to hear them explain it."
The Announcement- Hazleton's $1.6 Billion Dollar Dream
Let's start with this article that appeared in the Times Leader.
Officials predict thousands of jobs, billions in cash for economy $1.6B cargo airport eyed Times Leader: 02-01-2007 By Jerry Lynott HAZLE TWP. -
Declaring the coal mining industry a thing of the past, government and business leaders Wednesday turned to the skies and announced plans to build a $1.6 billion cargo airport to carry the region s economy into the future. The joint public and private project would sit on a 4,300-acre site next to the Humboldt Industrial Park, create thousands of jobs on site and off and contribute billions to the economy, officials said.
[No federal monies would be spent on construction; instead state, Luzerne County and private funding would be used, said state Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township. The representative whose district encompasses the proposed site said the state would become a partner in the project if the airport received air space approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.] Todd, just one question. Did anyone ask the residents of Pennsylvania whether they wanted to become partners in this project???
None has yet been given, but it will be pursued once the county creates the governing body or authority for the airport. We have the opportunity with a project of this magnitude to become a transportation hub, a global transportation hub, Eachus said at a press conference attended by government, business and labor leaders at First Quality Nonwovens Inc. within the industrial park.
Luzerne County would own the facility to be developed by Gladstone Partners LP, a private group made up of Hazleton attorney Robert Powell, attorney Gregory Zappala and former Hazleton Mayor Michael Marsicano. Todd, another question by Big Daddy- When did Luzerne County officially take action to support owning the facility? Greg, care to speak up?
Eachus and others credited Marsicano, an airline pilot, with initiating the project that has since been backed up by two studies, one done in 2004 and another recently by airport development consultant Leigh Fisher Associates. The idea was good in 1999 and better now because of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Eachus said. Ohhh really. Did anyone bother to read the “Feasibility And Risk of a Pennsylvania All-Cargo Airport” study(which is no longer available on Pennsylvania's Bureau of Aviation website but is referenced in this report )
The Pennsylvania Air Cargo Study was prepared for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation by Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc. (WSA) to assess the feasibility and risk associated with a dedicated PA air cargo airport. Specifically, WSA was to determine if there is sufficient volume to support a dedicated facility or if existing PA airports can support forecasted air cargo volumes.WSA suggested again that justification of an all-cargo airport in Pennsylvania required the same mindset that ‘justified’ the spectacularly unsuccessful North Carolina Global Transpark – belief that development of a new airport will create demand for the facility. WSA concluded “development of a fully utilized all-cargo airport in the central Pennsylvania region has limited prospects for success.
Everything has changed from the standpoint of screening cargo and relating it to national security, he added. Outlining the benefits the proposed airport would offer, Eachus said it would be state of the art, solely devoted to cargo, have access to rail and truck transportation and do the job more efficiently than crowded airports in New York and New Jersey. Todd, did anybody tell you that your arrogant surrogate Kanjorski has the rail project stopping in Scranton??
But he harkened back to the economic benefits it would provide and used Memphis, Tenn., as an example. Citing information from the Memphis Chamber of Commerce and the FAA, he said the cargo airport there created 156,000 jobs and generates $5.6 billion in wages. The total economic benefit to the greater Memphis economy is $19.5 billion. The area is expanding the cargo center to claim a larger share of the air cargo market. Todd, so why would Memphis want to allow a new kid to take over their "block"?
The county signed on after Gladstone revived the project with the second study, said Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak. This initiative does with one swing of the bat, one swing of the bat, it wipes out 30, 40, 50 years we have struggled to re-identify ourselves due to the loss of the coal mining industry, he said. Uhhh Greg...when did this happen...what formal action did you take or was this another one of your fake emergencies to subvert the bidding process?
This initiative replaces that industry. Among the letters of support for the project Skrepenak cited was one from newly elected U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock. Chris, a little known fact...Michael Marsicano donation 1/18/2007 $2,100.00, Jill Moran donation 9/15/2006 $1,000.00, Robert Powell donations 9/15/2006 $1,000.00 and 1/18/2007 $2,100.00 hmmm what are the chances of lightning striking twice in the same place. If you want to continue in Congress you should pick better friends.
The congressman framed the project within the context of national security, saying it would use state-of-the-art equipment to inspect cargo coming into and leaving the country. It lends itself to keep all Americans safe, Skrepenak said. Ohhh boy you guys are making this tough.
[Screening of air cargo to deter and detect the introduction of IEDs into the air cargo networks is a logistical nightmare. The production of equipment from current research and development focused on technological pre-board screening of cargo is not only a dim prospect for the near to middle term, it faces insurmountable obstacles beginning with capital cost, maintenance expense and policing of standards to counter the ‘snake oil’ effect]
The timing of the project is right because Congress set a time frame of three years for airports to have the ability to check all air cargo, explained Powell, managing general partner of Gladstone. It allows us to take the momentum of homeland security and the tremendous growth in commercial activity in air cargo and marry the two at a location that is perfectly suited, Powell said.
He estimated that the airport could be built within 24 to 30 months upon receiving federal and state regulatory approval. The facility would have a 13,000-foot runway, 22 million square feet of building space and the potential to contribute $17.1 billion to the regional economy. Powell declined to answer specifically how much his group has spent on the project and how much it intends to invest. Better get building it, 2009 will be here before you know it.
I prefer not to quantify this as private investors, but I can tell you it is well into the six figures in time and in money, he said. By relying on private funds and commitments from the state and county, the project can avoid being slowed down waiting for federal money, Eachus said. Slow down, you mean throw caution to the wind.
To date, the reaction has been positive and no one has come up with a counter idea, he said. This is a big dream and there are steps to be taken, Eachus said. But it's worth the investment, the public investment that the county and state will put forward and it s also opportunity to induce significant private entrepreneurial investment into our economy. Here's your counter idea. Why not fix the roads and bridges adopting the public works model. You can hire people to work on these projects. Darn that Hoover Dam.
Officials predict thousands of jobs, billions in cash for economy $1.6B cargo airport eyed Times Leader: 02-01-2007 By Jerry Lynott HAZLE TWP. -
Declaring the coal mining industry a thing of the past, government and business leaders Wednesday turned to the skies and announced plans to build a $1.6 billion cargo airport to carry the region s economy into the future. The joint public and private project would sit on a 4,300-acre site next to the Humboldt Industrial Park, create thousands of jobs on site and off and contribute billions to the economy, officials said.
[No federal monies would be spent on construction; instead state, Luzerne County and private funding would be used, said state Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township. The representative whose district encompasses the proposed site said the state would become a partner in the project if the airport received air space approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.] Todd, just one question. Did anyone ask the residents of Pennsylvania whether they wanted to become partners in this project???
None has yet been given, but it will be pursued once the county creates the governing body or authority for the airport. We have the opportunity with a project of this magnitude to become a transportation hub, a global transportation hub, Eachus said at a press conference attended by government, business and labor leaders at First Quality Nonwovens Inc. within the industrial park.
Luzerne County would own the facility to be developed by Gladstone Partners LP, a private group made up of Hazleton attorney Robert Powell, attorney Gregory Zappala and former Hazleton Mayor Michael Marsicano. Todd, another question by Big Daddy- When did Luzerne County officially take action to support owning the facility? Greg, care to speak up?
Eachus and others credited Marsicano, an airline pilot, with initiating the project that has since been backed up by two studies, one done in 2004 and another recently by airport development consultant Leigh Fisher Associates. The idea was good in 1999 and better now because of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Eachus said. Ohhh really. Did anyone bother to read the “Feasibility And Risk of a Pennsylvania All-Cargo Airport” study(which is no longer available on Pennsylvania's Bureau of Aviation website but is referenced in this report )
The Pennsylvania Air Cargo Study was prepared for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation by Wilbur Smith Associates, Inc. (WSA) to assess the feasibility and risk associated with a dedicated PA air cargo airport. Specifically, WSA was to determine if there is sufficient volume to support a dedicated facility or if existing PA airports can support forecasted air cargo volumes.WSA suggested again that justification of an all-cargo airport in Pennsylvania required the same mindset that ‘justified’ the spectacularly unsuccessful North Carolina Global Transpark – belief that development of a new airport will create demand for the facility. WSA concluded “development of a fully utilized all-cargo airport in the central Pennsylvania region has limited prospects for success.
Everything has changed from the standpoint of screening cargo and relating it to national security, he added. Outlining the benefits the proposed airport would offer, Eachus said it would be state of the art, solely devoted to cargo, have access to rail and truck transportation and do the job more efficiently than crowded airports in New York and New Jersey. Todd, did anybody tell you that your arrogant surrogate Kanjorski has the rail project stopping in Scranton??
But he harkened back to the economic benefits it would provide and used Memphis, Tenn., as an example. Citing information from the Memphis Chamber of Commerce and the FAA, he said the cargo airport there created 156,000 jobs and generates $5.6 billion in wages. The total economic benefit to the greater Memphis economy is $19.5 billion. The area is expanding the cargo center to claim a larger share of the air cargo market. Todd, so why would Memphis want to allow a new kid to take over their "block"?
The county signed on after Gladstone revived the project with the second study, said Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak. This initiative does with one swing of the bat, one swing of the bat, it wipes out 30, 40, 50 years we have struggled to re-identify ourselves due to the loss of the coal mining industry, he said. Uhhh Greg...when did this happen...what formal action did you take or was this another one of your fake emergencies to subvert the bidding process?
This initiative replaces that industry. Among the letters of support for the project Skrepenak cited was one from newly elected U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock. Chris, a little known fact...Michael Marsicano donation 1/18/2007 $2,100.00, Jill Moran donation 9/15/2006 $1,000.00, Robert Powell donations 9/15/2006 $1,000.00 and 1/18/2007 $2,100.00 hmmm what are the chances of lightning striking twice in the same place. If you want to continue in Congress you should pick better friends.
The congressman framed the project within the context of national security, saying it would use state-of-the-art equipment to inspect cargo coming into and leaving the country. It lends itself to keep all Americans safe, Skrepenak said. Ohhh boy you guys are making this tough.
[Screening of air cargo to deter and detect the introduction of IEDs into the air cargo networks is a logistical nightmare. The production of equipment from current research and development focused on technological pre-board screening of cargo is not only a dim prospect for the near to middle term, it faces insurmountable obstacles beginning with capital cost, maintenance expense and policing of standards to counter the ‘snake oil’ effect]
The timing of the project is right because Congress set a time frame of three years for airports to have the ability to check all air cargo, explained Powell, managing general partner of Gladstone. It allows us to take the momentum of homeland security and the tremendous growth in commercial activity in air cargo and marry the two at a location that is perfectly suited, Powell said.
He estimated that the airport could be built within 24 to 30 months upon receiving federal and state regulatory approval. The facility would have a 13,000-foot runway, 22 million square feet of building space and the potential to contribute $17.1 billion to the regional economy. Powell declined to answer specifically how much his group has spent on the project and how much it intends to invest. Better get building it, 2009 will be here before you know it.
I prefer not to quantify this as private investors, but I can tell you it is well into the six figures in time and in money, he said. By relying on private funds and commitments from the state and county, the project can avoid being slowed down waiting for federal money, Eachus said. Slow down, you mean throw caution to the wind.
To date, the reaction has been positive and no one has come up with a counter idea, he said. This is a big dream and there are steps to be taken, Eachus said. But it's worth the investment, the public investment that the county and state will put forward and it s also opportunity to induce significant private entrepreneurial investment into our economy. Here's your counter idea. Why not fix the roads and bridges adopting the public works model. You can hire people to work on these projects. Darn that Hoover Dam.
Introduction
Over the past couple of years there has been a plethora of press regarding Hazleton's proposed cargo only airport. Education of the public is essential since taxpayer dollars funded preliminary studies on this proposal. In the coming weeks and months this blog will publish research on the merits of such an endeavor to enlighten the public on its demise from the beginning. The promise of jobs overshawdowed rational thinking and created a false promise of hope to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Those in government should be held accountable for their calculated and premeditated abuse of the public trust place in their charge and keeping.
Longevity in office is being sold to the voters as the sole reason for keeping someone in office. Longevity in office is the prime reason to vote someone out of office.
Lord Acton had it right in 1887. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." But it was William Pitt, the Elder, The Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, who laid the foundation for that statement when he opined in 1770 "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it".
The actors in this debacle were going to make hundreds of millions if the project was successful. Sanity always lets in the light, but money blinds with its divine source.
Longevity in office is being sold to the voters as the sole reason for keeping someone in office. Longevity in office is the prime reason to vote someone out of office.
Lord Acton had it right in 1887. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." But it was William Pitt, the Elder, The Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, who laid the foundation for that statement when he opined in 1770 "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it".
The actors in this debacle were going to make hundreds of millions if the project was successful. Sanity always lets in the light, but money blinds with its divine source.
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