 May 02, 2003
Prior to passing the bill out of the Senate Commerce Committee (for consideration by the full Senate), the Committee agreed to two cargo-related amendments offered by Senator Stevens. The first amendment restores the cargo entitlement level of the Airport Improvement Program to 3.5 percent; the level was lowered to 3 percent in 1996. The cargo entitlement represents the amount of funds airports receive through the Airport Improvement Program for all-cargo landings. This change will allow Alaska to see an increase in airport improvement funds, because of the large number of cargo landings in the State. "In 1996 we doubled the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program, but lowered the cargo entitlement percentage from 3.5 to 3.0. This has meant that airports with cargo flights, which are most airports in the country, receive a smaller increase than those who do not see cargo landings. My amendment simply restores the 3.5 percent that existed prior to 1996, said Stevens in explaining his amendment to his colleagues on the Committee. Currently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) distributes discretionary Airport Improvement Funds based in six statutory factors. Stevens offered an amendment to include a seventh factor allowing DOT to consider the ability of the project to foster competitiveness in securing global air cargo activity at a U.S. airport. "This is important because of the increasing amount of air cargo business, both domestically and internationally. I believe that DOT should consider both passenger and cargo operations when distributing the AIP discretionary funds, said Stevens. The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) is a federal grant-in-aid program that represents a major source of funding for airport development and planning. Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes and other similar revenue sources. AIP funds may be used for various capital improvement and planning projects at public use airports that are listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Additional information on the AIP can be accessed on the Web at: http://www1.faa.gov/arp/ace/aip.htm The bill also contains provisions authored by Senator Stevens during the last Congress which are aimed at streamlining airport improvement projects. The first provision directs the Secretary of Transportation to report to the Senate Commerce Committee on ways to expand the agency,s use of categorical exclusions, which allow airports to bypass some federal requirements for minor construction projects. This is intended to ensure that Department of Transportation environmental staff resources are not diverted to lower priority tasks and are available to expedite the environmental reviews of airport capacity enhancement projects at congested airports. The second provision offered by Stevens shortens to sixty days the amount of time in which interested parties must offer reasonable alternatives to a proposed airport improvement project. In addition, the bill approved Thursday by the Commerce Committee, reauthorizes the Essential Air Service program without matching fund requirements. The Department of Transportation (DOT) had proposed requiring communities served by Essential Air Service to contribute matching funds to this program. In two previous hearings on this subject, Stevens has expressed his strong objection to this proposal.
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