Proposed Runway at Logan Gets A Day in Court

BOSTON-The effort to develop a new runway at Logan International Airport is moving to the fore again, after the Sept. 11 terror attacks eclipsed all other issues at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The agency had asked the courts for a delay in the case and that delay expired on Jan. 15.

Two cases have been filed against the proposed runway: one from the city of Boston regarding a 1974 injunction against the new runway and the other from the town of Hull stating that MassPort failed to comply with state law for environmental review. According to Jose Juves, spokesperson for MassPort, the agency is trying to have the two cases consolidated into one. “We are focused on lifting the injunction,” he tells GlobeSt.com.

Hull along with Hingham, Cohasset, Revere, Everett, Winthrop and Somerville–which are all contributing financially to the lawsuit–are concerned about the increase in air traffic a new runway will bring over their towns. Bill Golden, town counsel for Hull, tells GlobeSt.com that the decision was made to proceed with one community and have a consolidated defense. Golden accuses MassPort of continuing to work on the lawsuit despite its request for a delay from the courts. “They didn’t want to deal with the courts while getting federal approval,” Golden contends. “They got what they wanted. Their federal review is almost finished and now they’re saying time is of the essence.”