Hillsboro Tribune Editorial on the Hillsboro Airport (HIO) by James Lubischer

August 6, 2018

The following editorial discusses issues related to the negative impacts of HIO including the historical lack of interest exhibited by the City of Hillsboro in protecting residents and surrounding communities from the ongoing noise and pollution generated by the Hillsboro Airport. It appeared in the Hillsboro Tribune on August 1, 2018. Dr. Lubischer serves as Vice President of Oregon Aviation Watch.

Here's more about the Hillsboro Airport

James T. Lubischer, MD
Resident near Orenco since 1989
Vice-President of Oregon Aviation Watch

After reading the Hillsboro Tribune's 6-27-18 article "Hillsboro Airport plans no longer up in the air," I thought I would share some of what I have learned about and related to the Hillsboro Airport.

1. Hillsboro Airport is owned by the Port of Portland and claims Hillsboro has no control over the airport. In 11-20-13 the Port of Portland stated, "The City has no legal authority to impose curfews or place other restrictions on flight operations or, more generally, on the operation of aircraft at the Hillsboro Airport." This statement was in response to the contention that the City of Hillsboro could use the City's "police power" (derived from the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution) to regulate intrastate flight operations at HIO to reduce adverse impacts (noise, air pollution, including lead pollution, safety, security, public subsidies, property devaluation). The City has accepted the Port's conclusion and the City has shown no interest over the years to try and reduce the noise and lead pollution from HIO. Hillsboro has never pursued the possibility of using the City's police power to enact measures to preserve and protect the safety, health and welfare of Hillsboro residents, including children, from lead air pollution and from noise pollution.
2. Hillsboro Airport is primarily a flight-training airport but the actual percentage of HIO operations which are flight-training operations remains a mystery. The Port of Portland does not know the percentage of flight training operations at HIO, even though this question has been asked time and time again. Also, the "largest flight training facility on the pacific west coast" failed to provide their number of operations in a 2012 General Aviation Survey. We do know, however, that about 68% of the operations at HIO are "local" and consist "largely of training activity" (2009 Draft Environmental Assessment). We know, from a former HIO control tower manager, that "some" itinerant operations are flight-training operations. We also know that the FAA has designated airspace over west Hillsboro and rural Washington County for "intensive flight training".
3. Hillsboro Aero Academy Flight School has two "majority owners", one an education-focused private equity fund based in Pennsylvania and the other an investment firm with offices in New York and Brazil.
4. Lead fuel continues to be sold at HIO. Air monitoring (by PSU) in 2015 detected lead in Hillsboro's air at all sample sites, though levels were below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead. In 2005 the CDC stated, "Ultimately, all nonessential uses of lead should be eliminated...all levels of government share responsibility for primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning."
5. The US Court of Appeals did rule against Oregon Aviation Watch's environmental appeal, however the Court erred in not addressing a key argument, ruling that the argument had not been raised properly. In fact the argument had been raised properly in the opening brief. Even the Port of Portland in their initial brief acknowledged this fact. A request for a panel rehearing was denied without explanation.