O'Hare expansion plan faces first lawsuit

DeltaFlot · 12-06-2001, 05:49 PM

December 6, 2001 Posted: 2:14 PM EST (1914 GMT)

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- The leader of a group opposed to a multi-billion dollar O'Hare Airport expansion plan sued Illinois transportation officials Thursday, seeking documents to determine the full cost of the project, his attorney said.

The lawsuit, the first of what may be many challenges, came just hours after Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced a deal to double flight capacity by reconfiguring existing runways and starting construction of a new runway in 2011 requiring the razing of hundreds of homes.

Ryan and Daley had previously been at odds over whether to expand O'Hare, with sticking points including a small lakefront commuter airport Daley wanted closed, and a third major airport in the south suburbs favored by Ryan.

The O'Hare plan has been discussed at $6 billion, but could be closer to $15 billion when all the details are included, said Joseph Karaganis, an attorney representing the Suburban O'Hare Commission, which opposes expansion of the nation's second-busiest airport, behind Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport.

The lawsuit seeks "critical details of the scope and cost of the project," Karaganis said. "The governor and the mayor are refusing to disclose the cost details, how it is going to be financed."

O'Hare is within Chicago city limits and Cook County, with its edges surrounded almost completely by suburbs.

The lawsuit was filed in adjoining DuPage County on behalf of John Geils, Bensenville village president and Suburban O'Hare Commission chairman. Bensenville is a suburb next to O'Hare that would lose hundreds of homes under the plan.

Geils is suing Illinois Transportation Secretary Kirk Brown to recover documents he sought under the Freedom of Information Act in October as a private citizen.

Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for the governor, said it was "hardly a surprise" that a lawsuit was filed. Illinois held public hearings and performed a detailed analysis, he said.

Ryan and Daley next want the Illinois congressional delegation led by Sen. **** Durbin to insert the expansion deal into federal legislation to keep future governors or mayors from tampering with the 20-year plan.

The deal gives Ryan construction of a $615 million, single runway airport in Peotone, Illinois, 35 miles south of Chicago. Ryan also gets western access to O'Hare for suburban residents and up to another 25 years for the lakefront Meigs Field.

Meanwhile, Daley gets a full expansion plan for O'Hare that would add an extra runway and reconfigure seven others. In exchange for no flight caps, Daley also will invest another $450 million to soundproof homes and schools near O'Hare.

As long as Meigs remains open, operating expense shortfalls are to be financed by O'Hare's two major airlines: American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. and United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp. A reaction from the airlines to the Meigs portion of the deal was not immediately available.

12-06-2001, 05:49 PM	#1
DeltaFlot The Patriot Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Laurel, MD Age: 35 Posts: 3,228	O'Hare expansion plan faces first lawsuit December 6, 2001 Posted: 2:14 PM EST (1914 GMT) CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- The leader of a group opposed to a multi-billion dollar O'Hare Airport expansion plan sued Illinois transportation officials Thursday, seeking documents to determine the full cost of the project, his attorney said. The lawsuit, the first of what may be many challenges, came just hours after Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced a deal to double flight capacity by reconfiguring existing runways and starting construction of a new runway in 2011 requiring the razing of hundreds of homes. Ryan and Daley had previously been at odds over whether to expand O'Hare, with sticking points including a small lakefront commuter airport Daley wanted closed, and a third major airport in the south suburbs favored by Ryan. The O'Hare plan has been discussed at $6 billion, but could be closer to $15 billion when all the details are included, said Joseph Karaganis, an attorney representing the Suburban O'Hare Commission, which opposes expansion of the nation's second-busiest airport, behind Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. The lawsuit seeks "critical details of the scope and cost of the project," Karaganis said. "The governor and the mayor are refusing to disclose the cost details, how it is going to be financed." O'Hare is within Chicago city limits and Cook County, with its edges surrounded almost completely by suburbs. The lawsuit was filed in adjoining DuPage County on behalf of John Geils, Bensenville village president and Suburban O'Hare Commission chairman. Bensenville is a suburb next to O'Hare that would lose hundreds of homes under the plan. Geils is suing Illinois Transportation Secretary Kirk Brown to recover documents he sought under the Freedom of Information Act in October as a private citizen. Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for the governor, said it was "hardly a surprise" that a lawsuit was filed. Illinois held public hearings and performed a detailed analysis, he said. Ryan and Daley next want the Illinois congressional delegation led by Sen. **** Durbin to insert the expansion deal into federal legislation to keep future governors or mayors from tampering with the 20-year plan. The deal gives Ryan construction of a $615 million, single runway airport in Peotone, Illinois, 35 miles south of Chicago. Ryan also gets western access to O'Hare for suburban residents and up to another 25 years for the lakefront Meigs Field. Meanwhile, Daley gets a full expansion plan for O'Hare that would add an extra runway and reconfigure seven others. In exchange for no flight caps, Daley also will invest another $450 million to soundproof homes and schools near O'Hare. As long as Meigs remains open, operating expense shortfalls are to be financed by O'Hare's two major airlines: American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. and United Airlines, a unit of UAL Corp. A reaction from the airlines to the Meigs portion of the deal was not immediately available. __________________ Febuary 15, 1898 December 7, 1941 June 8, 1967 September 11, 2001 Never Forget, Never Forgive If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

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