TC Palm - Two Bills Would Delay Until 2014 FAA Moving Forward With Air Traffic Control Tower Closures, Including Witham Field's in Stuart

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By Sade M. Gordon

Two bills in Congress could be the salvation of Witham Field's air traffic control tower, along with 148 others facing closure by mid-June.

The Senate's Protect our Skies Act, co-sponsored by U.S. senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio and the House's Air Traffic Tower Funding Restoration Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, both seek to prevent the Federal Aviation Administration from moving forward with its decision to cut service at contracted control towers until 2014.

"I strenuously objected to the closing of Witham Field's tower, because it plays a vital role on the Treasure Coast, safeguarding flights, passengers and ground structures by coordinating the hazardous mixture of jets and prop planes that use Witham Field and by keeping the airspace adjacent to Palm Beach International Airport safe," Murphy said in a news release. "This bipartisan bill would allow Witham and 148 other towers across the country to remain open for the rest of the fiscal year while Congress works to replace the sequester with a balanced, long-term budget that cuts the deficit without sacrificing essential government services."

If both chambers of Congress pass an identical proposal and President Obama signs off on it, the county's scramble to find alternative funding options for the tower could finally be over.

The FAA announced its plan in March to close more than 100 control towers in phases until May 5 because of funding cuts implemented because of a federal budget impasse. After several lawsuits and much protest, the FAA delayed the until June 15 to deal with the legal challenges and to allow airports to come up with alternative means of funding.

The towers being closed are at airports where private companies are contracted to provide air traffic control service. Towers that are directly operated by the FAA, including the Vero Beach and St. Lucie County International Airport, will not be impacted.

While the airport tower bills make their way through the legislative process, Martin County staff will continue to research the various options for funding the tower, should the bills fail, said Airport Manager George Stokus at a public meeting about the airport tower closure, but letting the tower close is not an option.

"The best course of action, if you want to keep the tower, you want the FAA to continue to fund it, you need to write letters and contact your congressmen and senators," Stokus said.

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