OLYMPIA — A bill that would replace the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission established in 2019 to recommend possible locations for a new airport had a public hearing in the Washington Senate on Tuesday.
“The CACC established in 2019, didn’t have enough time to do a thorough review of what they set out to accomplish,” co-sponsor Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, said in a release from his office. “COVID played a role, but the commission was also lacking adequate resources and did not provide enough outreach and notice to those who could have been impacted.”
The legislation, House Bill 1791, would replace the CACC and appoint a work group to provide a comprehensive look at new and existing airport sites in Washington.
“This new, strong bipartisan piece of legislation is the culmination of hours and hours of work. The new workgroup will involve more stakeholders, take a closer look at environmental and infrastructure considerations, and the strengths and weaknesses of each site,” Dent said.