O'Hare Noise Activists Say More Meetings With FAA Not Enough
(CBS) -- After talking with Mayor Emanuel in Washington, Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta promised to double the number of meetings to be held before a new runway opens at O'Hare Airport this fall.
But, Jac Charlier, a co-founder of the group FAIR, for Fair Allocation In Runways, verbally shrugged at the announcement. He says it's a small, but positive step that the FAA has agreed to hold two additional meetings before a new runway is scheduled to open at O'Hare in October. But he says the residents want to meet with Mayor Emanuel, who pressured FAA officials.
"It's a very, very small step forward in that regard," Charlier said. "These meetings are not with the mayor, they are with the FAA and in terms of moving from two to four hearings for an issue that affects tens of thousands of residents it's still entirely insufficient."
The anti-noise group has been asking for a meeting with Mayor Emanuel for some time and say they've never gotten one.
Local residents have complained that the number of noisy jets flying overhead has increased since realigned runways began operations at O'Hare.