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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Draft Environmental Impact Report for Phase 1 ofAirport Master Plan
out for public comment

Seven community meetings planned to inform residents about the plan and Draft EIR

SAN DIEGO – October 8, 2007 – The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority announced today that the public comment period of the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Phase 1 of the Airport Master Plan for San Diego International Airport (SDIA) is open.  Agencies, residents and other interested parties will have until November 30, 2007, to submit comments on the draft EIR.

The draft EIR addresses near-term improvements designed to allow SDIA to meet current passenger demand.  These include a ten-gate build-out of Terminal 2 West, a dual-level roadway in front of Terminal 2 and various parking, roadway and airfield improvements. 

The full-disclosure report is meant to inform the public about any and all possible impacts to the environment and seek comments on alternatives to reduce impacts associated with improvements to the airport. 

Areas studied in the draft EIR are:

The Airport Authority is hosting seven open house-style community meetings throughout San Diego County to present the Phase 1 Airport Master Plan and findings in the Draft EIR, answer questions, and provide residents with information on how to submit comments on the EIR. The dates and locations of these meetings are:

The document is available on the new Airport Master Plan Web site: www.sanplan.com.  Comments must be sent by Nov. 30, 2007, to: info@sanplan.com.  Comments can also be mailed to: Airport Planning, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, P.O. Box 82776, San Diego, CA 92138-2776.  Comments must contain less than 2,000 words and not contain attachments.

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority was established by state law in 2003 to operate San Diego International Airport and to address the region’s long-term air transportation needs. The Airport Authority is governed by a nine-member appointed Board representing all areas of the County. San Diego International Airport — funded through user fees and not local taxes — is the nation’s busiest single-runway commercial service airport, serving some 17.5 million passengers in 2006.

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