In the latest odd twist, the city of Tempe is suing Sky Harbor Airport, which is owned by Phoenix, over the rebuilding of a runway. The $66 million job is being done to replace an asphalt surface, which tends to warp in the desert heat, with sturdier concrete. But Tempe claims work began without a formal assessment of how much dust it would kick up, as required by the Clean Air Act. "We're all scratching our heads," says airport director Dave Krietor. "This is just a maintenance project. Sky Harbor is the world's fifth busiest airport, and it can't operate off asphalt runways. It's not that complicated."
Some suspect Tempe is more interested in payback than dust. Tempe is still bitter about the airport's role in thwarting its bid to host a new stadium for the Arizona Cardinals. Airport managers downed Tempe as a proposed stadium site because its position in Sky Harbor's flight path could prove hazardous. The stadium went to the city of Glendale instead.
Tempe denies that it's seeking revenge: "Neither the airport nor the FAA are exempt from federal environmental regulations," says community relations manager Randy Gross. But Tempe indeed may have other motives. Tempe will likely use the suit as a bargaining chip in negotiations over aircraft noise and flight patterns that take jets directly over residential neighborhoods.
