By Martin Rubin West Los Angeles
This is in regards to a recent article about an environmental study on the Santa Monica Airport (SMDP, April 21, page 1).
According to Santa Monica Airport Manager Bob Trimborn, City Hall has been responsive to residents concerns and has been “proactive” by calling on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to conduct the first in-depth study at and around the airport.
If there were attempts by City Hall or Santa Monica Airport staff to call on the South Coast Air Quality Management District to conduct such a study, I know nothing about it. I would love to see documentation that shows efforts by City Hall calling for the SCAQMD study.
What City Hall did do was request that two or three other general aviation airports be included in an air quality study, thereby making sure that sufficient data would not be collected to show if indeed Santa Monica Airport was polluting the air of their neighbors to the east in Los Angeles as well as to the west at times.
Trimborn tried to keep me from attending the first SCAQMD Advisory Committee meeting. After learning that I was an appointed member, representing community interests, he grunted deeply, “Oh.”
At a later meeting of the advisory committee, Deputy City Attorney Marty Tachiki was opposed to placing a set of air monitors in the yard of a residence across Bundy Drive because he said it would take away from the credibility of the study, since samples were already being taken on the east end of the tarmac.
SCAQMD staff assured Tachiki that monitors in both locations were quite desirable. City Hall also ignored requests by their advisory Environmental Task Force to do a health impact study regarding the now under construction Airport Park at the southeast corner of the airport.
It is my impression that City Hall was “proactive” in making sure that Santa Monica Airport was not the focus of the SCAQMD air pollution study or any other study.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 27, 2006. Read the original PDF.