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ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the way for St. George to move forward with plans for a replacement airport.
Mayor Dan McArthur said planning for the airport south of the Washington Fields area began in 1994 and the idea for it dated back to the 1980s.
The new airport will have longer runways, allowing 50- or 70-seat regional jets to be used. The city is now served by 30-seat turboprops.
"This is what it's all about: Jet traffic into St. George," McArthur told a news conference Monday.
Scott Hirschi, director of the Washington County Economic Development Council, said the new airport may help attract more high-tech businesses.
The increased ease of transportation could enable many businesses to set up satellite offices -- or even corporate headquarters -- in Washington County.
Necia Clark-Mantle, a vice president of St. George-based SkyWest Airlines, said, "The new airport will give SkyWest Airlines the option to utilize regional jet aircraft to serve the community's growing demand for air service."
In the 1990s, a city study concluded that the current airport on top of a mesa in the middle of St. George was not adequate to meet the demands of the rapidly growing city.
A different site was located east of St. George's Little Valley area and south of Washington Fields. The FAA conducted an environmental assessment and issued a record of decision in 2001 finding no significant environmental impacts.
However, the Grand Canyon Trust, an environmental group, challenged the decision because of concerns about noise over Zion National Park.
The FAA decided to conduct a full environmental impact statement that included in-depth noise analysis of flights over Zion.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey called Utah's two senators and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, Monday to announce the most recent finding of no significant impact.
"It's great news," Matheson said. "The city of St. George has worked very hard. A lot of people deserve a lot of credit."
The Grand Canyon Trust released a statement Monday saying it supports the FAA's final decision.
However, the trust took issue with a news release from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, that said the process to build the airport was "delayed for years because of endless demands by environmental extremists."
The trust maintained it was only asking that the FAA follow environmental laws and regulations because the initial study was done without consulting Zion National Park.
The trust said, "It is not 'extremism' to simply ask that laws on the books be enforced."
Larry Bulloch, director of public works for the city, said St. George owns about one-third of the land needed for the new airport.
City officials are counting on federal funding to help build the airport.
Matheson said he expects approval of $3 million to $4 million in federal funds by a Sept. 30 deadline, with more money to come in the next few years.
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Information from: The Spectrum, http://www.thespectrum.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
