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HAZLETON — A local television station wanted a sense of
how residents feel about a proposed cargo airport.
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The answer: The majority
approves.
WYLN-TV held a panel discussion Monday night involving a group from Luzerne
and Schuylkill counties to address both the proposed airport and a survey
of area residents’ opinions of the project.
The survey, paid for by WYLN and conducted by Precision Design, Hazleton,
showed 33.5 percent of the respondents said they “very strongly” supported
the project and 69 percent believe the airport would result in an
improvement to the region’s quality of life.
State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-116; Henry Nyce, publisher of The REPUBLICAN
& Herald; and Kent Jackson of the Standard-Speaker joined Precision
Design President David Haupt and TV host Don Pachance in the televised
hour-long discussion.
“This is a $1.6 billion construction project, bigger than any other,”
Eachus said. “The project will create 4,500 direct jobs and (160,000)
additional jobs including biotechnical jobs and logistical planning. These
jobs have an average annual income of $48,000. That is the average wage
rate in Memphis at the same type of project.”
“This is the most important project in Northeastern Pennsylvania since the
discovery of coal,” Pachance said.
“To have it just dropped in our laps is a gift,” Nyce said.
The survey of residents of greater Hazleton and other parts of Luzerne,
Carbon and Schuylkill counties asked their opinions on the proposal to
build the airport in southwest Luzerne and northeast Schuylkill counties.
The idea was initially proposed in the mid-1990s.
According to the developers Gladstone Partners LP, the facility would have
a potential impact on the regional economy up to $17 billion.
A 2004 study about the airport proposal by the LPA Group, Columbia, S.C., funded by a $300,000 federal grant and a $30,000 Luzerne County match, indicated a
cargo airport near Hazleton would bring in 1.4 million tons of freight in
2012 and gross revenue from fuel and rental fees in excess of $38 million
annually.
According to Haupt, survey calls were made at random to 3,500 to 5,000
residents of the counties that would be affected by the proposal, as well
as the rest of Luzerne County and 400 usable surveys were obtained.
Forty-six percent of those surveyed lived in Hazleton; 24 percent in Wilkes-Barre; 9 percent in Mountaintop; 4 percent each from Pittston, Kingston and Nanticoke; and 10 percent from other communities, presumably in Schuylkill and Carbon
counties. Haupt also said there was a 5 percent margin of error.
According to the survey, 89 percent of respondents were familiar with the
project and 33.5 percent rated their overall opinion of the project as 10
out of 10, signifying very strong support. The average response was nearly
7 of 10.
The survey results indicated that a majority of residents in greater
Hazleton and Luzerne County are in favor of further commercial,
educational, recreational and cultural growth. It was unable to be
determined how many Schuylkill or Carbon County residents agreed with their
Luzerne County counterparts.
Nearly 60 percent of the respondents gave regional job creation a 10 when
asked to rate the importance and 73 percent believe the airport project
would allow the younger generations to remain and work in the area.
Seventy-seven percent also believe growth in population that would occur as
a result of the jobs would be positive for the region.
Regarding noise, the average response was 5.68. Traffic and pollution
issues received similar scores.
Public reaction to the proposed airport had been split.
About 100 people attended a public hearing called by the Luzerne County
commissioners in March regarding the appointment of an authority for the
proposed airport that would act as fact-finders and administrators of the
project. Although it is estimated that at least 50 percent of the airport
would be located in Schuylkill County, county officials have not been asked
for input. It was decided to table the authority appointments and no time
line was put into place when the appointments would be made.
Meanwhile, about a dozen petitions both for and against the airport have
been circulating through the McAdoo area.
Haupt said that 68 percent of those surveyed were in favor of the formation
of a Luzerne County Airport Authority to manage the proposed airport.
Nyce asked if that authority would include Schuylkill and Carbon county
residents.
“One half of the landing strip will be in Schuylkill County,” Nyce said.
Eachus said Luzerne County commissioners are trying to get ahead on the
planning and that FAA airspace approval would be needed before plans could
move forward.
Eachus was asked when, if approved, the proposed airport would be built.
“Everything is contingent on if we get FAA air space approval,” he said.
“It could be weeks or months. Having the project completed by 2011 would
not be out of the realm of possibility.”
Gladstone Partners LP issued this statement Monday:
“The results of the independent survey commissioned by WYLN regarding the
air cargo airport project are both encouraging and enlightening. We are
committed to the successful completion of an air cargo and rail intermodal
hub and this survey demonstrates the overwhelming public support for this
project.
“The next milestone for the air cargo project is approval by the FAA to
proceed. Once this has been received, Gladstone Partners LP will hold an
announcement press conference and schedule meetings with local public
officials.
“Many aspects of the project noted in the survey will be addressed through
the rigorous studies that will be completed and through the use the most
advanced technology available.”
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