Sep. 19--HAZLE TWP. -- Public hearings on the cargo airport proposed for southern Luzerne and northern Schuylkill counties -- originally scheduled for Tuesday and today -- have been postponed until October, a spokeswoman for state Rep. Todd Eachus said on Tuesday.
The airport proposal has met both support and criticism since developer Gladstone Partners LP went public with the plan for the $1.6 billion facility in January.
While Eachus, D-Butler Township, has been a consistent proponent of the project, others have raised concerns that range from noise and traffic congestion, to stress on public services.
Some state officials have questioned whether state funds should be used to partially back loans for airport construction, as Eachus has proposed.
The state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee has ordered an economic impact study of the airport proposal to determine whether Pennsylvania will appropriate public economic development funds for the project.
The public hearings, to be hosted by Eachus and Gladstone Partners, are scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 17, and 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 18 at the Hazle Township Commons Building, behind the township volunteer fire company on state Route 309.
The meetings were postponed because of scheduling problems, according to a representative from Eachus' office. She said announcements released earlier did not reach the media, possibly because of an email glitch.
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