L.A. Won’t Seek Seat on Airport Authority

A Los Angeles City Council committee Monday again shot down the idea of the city’s joining the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, but agreed to explore other ways to pressure the airport to reduce noise caused by jets taking off over San Fernando Valley neighborhoods.

One committee member suggested that Los Angeles refuse to treat sewage from Burbank and Glendale unless the cities agree to shift more takeoffs to the east.

A Los Angeles Sanitation Bureau official promptly dismissed the suggestion, however, saying it would probably violate longstanding agreements with Burbank and Glendale. “No way we would refuse to handle sewage from these inland cities,” said Richard Humphreys, an engineer in the bureau’s waste-management division, calling the suggestion unrealistic and perhaps illegal.

Nonetheless, the suggestion, made by Councilman Robert Farrell at a meeting Monday of the Industry and Economic Development Committee, pointed to a rising level of frustration by Los Angeles city officials in dealing with the airport authority.

Up to the Valley

Farrell, who represents South Los Angeles, said after the meeting that he would leave it to Valley council members, whose districts are most severely affected by noise from the airport, to persuade the authority to send more flights over the three cities that own the airport--Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena--instead of over Los Angeles neighborhoods.

An aide to East Valley Councilman Joel Wachs said the councilman’s office is looking for other ways to bring pressure to bear on the airport authority, but it is unclear what other options are available.

The airport authority argues that it has no jurisdiction over takeoff choices made by federal air traffic controllers and airline pilots, and that Los Angeles officials are unfairly harassing it because they are afraid to pick a fight with the federal government.

Monday’s 3-0 vote to drop further consideration of Los Angeles’ becoming a member of the authority was based on a recommendation from the city’s chief legislative analyst. The analyst cited many of the same reasons that led the city previously to reject membership in the authority, such as potential financial liability from noise lawsuits against the airport.

Los Angeles declined in 1977 and 1982 to seek membership in the authority, but Wachs revived the question in January, asking that the city explore whether membership in the authority could give the city more influence in reducing noise from aircraft over East Valley neighborhoods.

An aide to Wachs said Monday the councilman supported the committee action rejecting the proposal.

In a report delivered at Monday’s meeting, J.P. Ellman of the legislative analyst’s office said, “It appears that there are not sufficient beneficial aspects in the city joining the authority.”

He advised that under that body’s structure, “the City of Los Angeles would represent 25% of the authority, and thus would not be a controlling power.”

Ellman also said Los Angeles taxpayers could be financially liable “in the event the authority no longer has the financial resources to pay judgments from airport noise lawsuits.” The airport authority faces the possibility of a number of judgments against it in cases in which it has suffered legal reverses.