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1-17-04
By Paul Muschick Staff Writer
News & Record
Piedmont Triad International Airport started clearing land Friday for the FedEx hub, with opponents still promising to seek a federal court injunction that would stop the work until all of their environmental appeals are heard.
Friday's work was minimal -- clearing trees off about an acre along Old Oak Ridge Road near Bryan Boulevard. About 5 acres must be cleared to make room to build three silt ponds, which must be in place to protect area streams and wetlands before the site grading occurs, said Ted Johnson, PTI's executive director.
He said it could take about a month to build the ponds before a West Virginia contractor, Vecellio and Grogan Inc., could begin the major piece of the site preparation, which will total $20.5 million.
The airport wants to open the hub by 2009, eventually growing to a total of 126 takeoffs and landings on some nights. Supporters contend the hub would create jobs in a sagging economy and argue that the environmental impacts have been overstated.
Opponents counter that FedEx's overnight flights would wake people living along the flight path.
They also say the cargo-sorting center would pollute the air and water. They contend its expected economic boost has been overstated.
The Alliance for Legal Action, a nonprofit group formed to fight the project in court, has said it intends to ask the federal court in Greensboro to order that work be stopped until opponents' appeals are heard. It intends to file another appeal, of a federal water quality permit, at the same time it files the injunction request.
"It will be filed in the near future," said Mark Warren, the Alliance's executive director.
Opponents already have an appeal pending in state court. It contends that state environmental officials were wrong to issue a permit that says the hub could be built without causing overwhelming water pollution, if proper steps are taken.
Johnson said PTI will fight any request to stop construction.
"We will try to keep the work proceeding," he said.
If work continues before the court rules on the injunction request, opponents could seek an emergency restraining order to stop work until a judge rules on the permanent injunction.
That restraining order could not be filed, though, until the work encroaches on the streams and wetlands that are the subject of the appeals, Warren said. Friday's work does not.
PTI already is preparing for another phase of the project, relocating Bryan Boulevard about a half-mile to the northwest so a new runway can be built.
The airport opened bids for the work earlier this week and officials were excited to learn the bids were lower than anticipated.
Vecellio and Grogan also submitted the low bid for that job, about $44.3 million. The airport had estimated the work will cost about $53 million.
The state is paying for most of the work, with the airport paying for some of the costs to manage the job.
"I'm hoping it will save both of us a little bit of money," Johnson said.
Edited by cityboi, 22 October 2007 - 12:11 PM.
