In a released statement, Menino notes that among the legal options being pursued is an effort to defend the 1976 injunction that had barred the runway from being constructed. The legal team may also seek a new injunction to stop the completion or operation of the proposed runway.

"I won't sit back and let Massport, Secretary Durand, and the FAA put Boston's future at risk," writes Menino in his weekly address. "A new runway at Logan Airport would do three things. It would create more noise, more air pollution, and more traffic, and I've hired Mr. Joel Reck and his colleagues to make sure that never happens."

The city, the state secretary of environmental affairs and the state secretary of transportation obtained an injunction against the runway 25 years ago. Recently, the state secretary of environmental affairs Robert Durand and the state secretary of transportation agreed to the runway proposal and requested that the injunction be lifted. The city is not completely alone in its fight. A number of suburban towns have retained counsel to join in the city's legal battle.