"The changes that have occurred suggest that additional environmental review is necessary," writes Antonia M. Pollak, the city's environmental director in a letter to state environmental director Robert Durand. "The Massachusetts Port Authority that exists today is not the same one that existed on Sept. 11. Logan Airport is not the same and it will not function in the same way."

In the letter, the city contends that the changes to the aviation industry in general and at Logan impact the original rationale for the project. The letter also states that the economic impact of these changes on Massport could impact its ability to undertake the environmental mitigation necessary to proceed with the runway.

Doug Pizzi, spokesperson for Durand tells GlobeSt.com "we got the letter and we're looking at it." According to state regulations, in order for Durand to overturn his decision Massport would have to say it could not do the environmental mitigations or it would have to do nothing for three years. The city does cite a case in which an environmental impact statement was overturned, a case that Pizzi says "would have to be looked at."