Date: Wednesday, 8 December 1999 2:03

US-CITIZENS AVIATION WATCH ASSOCIATION News Release:

Concern about Aviation's Public Health Problems Voiced

CHICAGO, Dec. 7
"US-Citizens Aviation Watch Association is alarmed at the Clinton
Administration's latest effort to expand the highly polluting  aviation
industry worldwide, by sponsoring an international aviation  conference
that is winding up in Chicago today. 
   
We are concerned that the treaties they are making with these other
countries will weaken our laws that protect our health and environment,�
said Debi Wagner, Associate Director of US-Citizens Aviation Watch.  She
also  stated, Aviation appears to be one of the worst polluters in the
world,  causing serious and deadly public health problems to what appears
to be a  large percentage of the population living even many miles from an
airport or flight track.
   
Aircraft emissions are not only a problem on the ground; they are a major
problem in our upper atmosphere and a primary factor in climatic change. 
NASA researcher Patrick Minnis has stated, the number of clear days over
the U.S. has decreased in the last 30 years, and we suspect that much of
that is  due to an increase in cirrus clouds, which we suspect is probably
due to an  increase in air traffic.

    Yet, the most urgent problems happen here on the ground.  70% of our
nation's population, 190 million people, lives within 20 miles of a major
airport. 

    While children living near airports are suffering from the effects of
the  serious and deadly pollution from the constantly increasing hazardous
and  toxic air pollution from aircraft (ED:  and, importantly from
airport-associated road traffic, i.e. freight and passenger transport to
and from the airport), the administration is wining and dining  aviation
ministers in Chicago with the purpose of significantly increasing  this
problem.

    This conference follows a recent Clinton Administration campaign of
misrepresentations which said that the unhealthy and damaging effects of
aircraft noise are getting less harmful and affecting less people, when,
in  reality, they are getting much worse.  According to many reputable
sources,  there are at least 10 million American school children alone,
living in high  noise areas that are designated by the US-Environmental
Protection Agency as  harmful, not the 600,000 total Americans that
President Clinton claims.   Children's health, learning and motivation are
already being harmed by  existing conditions.

    Yet, knowing all of this, the purpose of the conference partially
sponsored by the Clinton Administration is:

    **  to create a forum for the world's aviation leaders to focus
cooperatively on critical aviation issues for the 21st century.

    **· to discuss elimination of restrictions and barriers that restrict
the  growth of aviation and restrain global economic growth, such as:

        --· Restrictive aviation regimes
        --· Inconsistent aviation policies
        --· Airport and air traffic management infrastructure
insufficiencies
        --· Safety, security and environmental concernsâ?

    US-Citizens Aviation Watch Association is appalled at the idea that
the  Clinton Administration would back such a plan, especially when viable
 solutions are already being proposed in some other nations to protect
their  citizens.

    Join US-CAW in protesting this latest assault on the health and
environment of the world's people.  For more information call:
630-415-3370.

 ------------
    US-Citizens Aviation Watch is an association of municipalities, civic
and  grass roots organization representing over 1.5 million people living
in the  United States.  It is associated with like organizations in 27
other  countries. US-CAW monitors all types of airport and
aircraft-related safety:  noise, air, water, and ground pollution,
especially hazardous and toxic air  emissions, and general aircraft
safety.

    Members include senior pilots and controllers, as well as other top
experts from the aerospace and medical communities. US-CAW is acutely
concerned about predicted hazards resulting from the massive expansion of
airport service which already erodes existing safety buffers, thus making
the  skies far less friendly than we have enjoyed until now.
                                            # # #

Contact:
    Jack Saporito, US-CAW, (847) 506-0670
    Rodney Slater, Secretary of Transportation
at: Hilton Chicago & Towers
720 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: (312) 922-4400----------



This page is maintained by

The Rivermouth Action Group Inc

activist@rag.org.au

as a community service.