The Noise Over Proposed El Toro Airport

* Re “Cost for El Toro Airport Doubles in County Report,” Dec. 24:

The county’s El Toro environmental impact report concludes that no homes will be within the 65 Community Noise Equivalent Level zone, and, therefore, none will require soundproofing.

The 65 CNEL criteria are a bad joke to those impacted.

It’s like being poked in the eye with a sharp stick and then being told you shouldn’t writhe in pain because the “average” pain over your entire body is very low.

KEVIN L. COOK

Aliso Viejo

* The Orange County Grinch, the county’s El Toro project management, decided to give us its Christmas present a couple of days early--the El Toro draft environmental impact report.

While the Grinch’s helpers enjoy the holidays, their enjoyment is all the more enhanced knowing they have burdened the anti-airport counterpart with the tedious review task during this holiday season.

I can picture the Orange County Grinch standing on Saddleback Mountain, looking down on the South County cities and thinking how he will soon come down in the night on his sled pulled by 412 airplanes and steal the quality of life and property values of the residents while leaving behind gifts of noise, safety risks, pollution and traffic congestion.

Hopefully, however, this story also ends with the South County residents retrieving their valuables and converting the Grinch into a considerate and respectful individual.

DAVID MELVOLD

Irvine

* The community around Los Angeles International Airport is fighting expansion. The community around Ontario is sounding the alarm about the airport there. Residents from those areas strongly suggest Orange County take care of its own air traffic needs instead of exporting 15 million travelers a year upon them.

Finally we have the ability to do just that: El Toro airport. It is our solution to this county’s growing air transportation needs and our insurance for the future.

A free gift from the federal government, it will allow our county to generate an extra $2.9 billion in direct revenue and $1.2 billion more in personal income. It will provide 32,000 jobs. All this at no cost to taxpayers because the airport will be built with revenue bonds. Sounds too good to be true, but it is!

K.P. MOVER

Newport Beach

* Quite an interesting bit of spin-doctoring by the El Toro environmental manager, Brian Speegle, regarding the potential pollution caused by turning El Toro into an international airport.

His comments were part of a response to the environmental report released Dec. 23. He commented that due to the location of El Toro, passengers would spend less time on the freeway, thus cutting down on auto emissions to the tune of 762,000 fewer miles per year.

I would hope that he factored in the commute for the jobs the airport might generate. Airport jobs do not tend to be of the higher-paying variety, and there is a severe shortage of affordable housing in south Orange County. I suppose that most workers will be driving from more affordable locations.

Speegle’s number looks rather insignificant and actually argues against the airport. However, it isn’t quite up to some other hollow pro-airport notions in the last five years.

BOB RENNIE

Mission Viejo

* It boggles my mind when I think of all of the fuss the South County citizens are willing to exert over the possibility of an international airport at El Toro.

Probably over 75% of all existing homes in the “threatened” area were built since the advent of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Why was it OK to have a military airport in their backyard when the planes were 10 times louder than any commercial airliner today? Surely these people were aware of El Toro’s existence when they bought their homes.

Now all of a sudden it’s “not in my backyard.” How foolish. Think of large jets disgorging 350 to 400 people at Los Angeles International Airport. These people will most surely want to visit Disneyland and some of our other fantastic attractions here in Orange County.

Why shouldn’t these people stay in Orange County hotels and spend their money here rather than L.A.? This airport is what we need.

DONALD DUNKLEMAN

Villa Park