Mon, Feb 23, 2004
Sponsor Of Security Bill Gets Reality Check From AOPA
AOPA senior staff members met with the sponsor of a sweeping
aviation security bill introduced in the US House of
Representatives, to explain the realities of general aviation
security. Most of Rep. Edward Markey's (D-MA) legislation (H.R.
3798) deals with security at airlines, air cargo operators, and air
carrier airports, but a small portion calls GA airports to perform
a vulnerability assessment that will be developed by the Department
of Homeland Security and mandatory flight restrictions over
sensitive nuclear facilities, chemical facilities, and "any other
facilities the Secretary may designate" during Code Orange
alerts.
"We wanted Representative Markey to understand why the GA
portion of his bill is neither necessary or warranted," said AOPA
Senior Vice President of Government and Technical Affairs Andy
Cebula.
AOPA has a long-running disagreement with Rep. Markey over
whether or not general aviation poses a threat to nuclear
facilities. An AOPA-commissioned independent study showed GA
aircraft are no threat.
"On the issue itself, we'll have to agree to disagree," said
Cebula. "He hasn't convinced us, we haven't convinced him. But we
explained to the congressman that mandating temporary flight
restrictions over nuclear power plants and chemical facilities
whenever there's a Code Orange is a bad idea," Cebula continued.
"For instance, a Code Orange alert could be issued based on
information that has absolutely nothing to do with aviation. Yet
under Rep. Markey's bill, the Department of Homeland Security would
have no choice but to order the FAA to issue flight restrictions.
We say let DHS make its decisions based on the intelligence, not an
arbitrary rule."
On the issue of general aviation airport security, Jon Hixson,
AOPA's vice president of Legislative Affairs, explained that,
"mandating a vulnerability assessment is at best premature and
really not necessary." The Transportation Security Administration
is finishing a list of best practices that will help GA airports
determine their risk. "We think TSA should be allowed to finish its
work and collect its information before Congress imposes any
related mandates."
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