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June 02, 2009
WITH JET NOISE RISING, CITY SEEKS REVIEW OF 2004 COURT RULING ALLOWING RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION AT LOGAN AIRPORT
City Attorneys to Argue that Current Uses of Runway 14/32 May Violate Settlement in Massport v. City of Boston et al; Overall Runway Usage at Logan Airport since November 2006 Shows Use of 14/32 Led to Near-Tripling of Jet Takeoffs on Runway 33L
SOMERVILLE - Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and City Solicitor John Gannon today announced that lawyers for the City of Somerville will argue in court this week that Logan Airport may have violated the terms of a 2004 legal ruling that cleared the way for the construction of Runway 14/32 at Boston's Logan International Airport.
That ruling, made in the case of Massport v. City of Boston et al (Somerville was a party to the case), allowed construction of the new runway on the understanding that it was to be used only under certain wind conditions. The City and other interested parties are making a motion to reopen the case on the grounds that Runway 14/32, which opened in November of 2006, has been used in conjunction with other runways in ways that not only violate the court-mandated restrictions but have also led to a sharp increase in jet takeoffs and related noise over Chelsea, Cambridge, Somerville and other communities.
"Massport argued in the original case that there would be no major changes in noise levels as a result of 14/32 construction, but we've seen them go up rapidly," said Mayor Curtatone. "This is a legal issue with major environmental and public health impacts, and we think the court should be looking at whether the terms of its operational restrictions on the runway are being properly observed."
The hearing will be held on June 3rd in Suffolk County Superior Court.
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