Tinicum Township and Delaware County File Suit Against Philadelphia Over Airport Expansion Plan

May 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Tinicum Township officials joined members of Delaware County Council to announce that they have filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia regarding the acquisition of land to expand Philadelphia International Airport.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, May 26, in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas.

A press conference is being held today at the Tinicum Township Municipal Building at 629 North Governor Printz Blvd. Essington, PA 19029 at 10:45 AM. Township and County officials will be on hand to address the media.

According to Michael Messina, president of the Tinicum Township Commissioners, the Complaint seeks a declaratory judgment to uphold a Pennsylvania statute that would require the City of Philadelphia to seek the consent of Tinicum Township and Delaware County prior to purchasing any land located in either Tinicum Township or Delaware County.

The Complaint arises out of the proposed Capacity Enhancement Plan (CEP) at Philadelphia International Airport, which calls for the acquisition of land within Tinicum Township to expand airport operations.

The lawsuit alleges that under the CEP, the City’s proposed purchase of land within Tinicum Township would displace approximately 300 residents in 72 homes (representing 7% of Tinicum’s population); displace approximately 3,300 employees and 80 businesses in Delaware County; negatively impact the air quality with emissions of priority pollutants, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other matters; and negatively affect the County of Delaware and Interboro School District’s tax revenue.

“By asking for this declaratory judgment action, we are saying that Philadelphia must negotiate with the officials of Tinicum and Delaware County, and consider the residents they represent, when they propose expanding the airport in our township,” said Commissioner Messina. “The FAA and the City can no longer run roughshod over Tinicum when it comes to airport operations that have a negative impact on our residents.”

Council Vice-Chairman Jack Whelan said it’s important for Delaware County to work out negotiations with the City of Philadelphia that will promote smart growth, but won’t have a negative impact on the lives of people in Tinicum and other county municipalities.

“Delaware County is struggling with airport expansion issues on several fronts, with lawsuits against the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C., regarding the Airspace Redesign Plan, and this lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia regarding the Capacity Enhancement Project.

“We want the airport to be successful, we know what it means to our economic development, but our primary concern is protecting the quality of life in Delaware County where residents not only enjoy the benefits of a convenient airport, but must also live with the disruption of noise, pollution and threats to our safety,” Councilman Whelan said.

Township and County officials also believe that the airport expansion will harm approximately 80 acres of wetlands; fill in approximately 25 to 30 acres of the Delaware River; reduce water flow along the inner channel of Little Tinicum Island; and increase the probability of aircraft-wildlife strikes, thus further endangering the lives of air travelers and wildlife.

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About Tinicum Township: Originally inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape Indians, the Township of Tinicum in Delaware County Pennsylvania is the oldest settlement in the state – dating back to the Swedes under the leadership of Johan Printz in1643. Tinicum became a formal Township in 1780. Tinicum Township is located in the Southeast portion of the state and is approximately five square miles bordered by the Delaware River, Darby Creek, and what was Bow creek and the back channel around Hog Island. The present population of Tinicum Township is approximately 4,350. For more information, go to www.tinicumtownshipdelco.com.