Visit By Transportation Secretary Could Aid Tobyhanna In Its Pitch For FAA Facility; Air Traffic Control Center Could Bring Jobs, Significant Investment to Northeastern Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announced that they have written a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood inviting him to tour Tobyhanna Army Depot as his agency considers whether to locate a $220 million air traffic control facility there. Building the facility at Tobyhanna could further strengthen the base and has to the potential to bring jobs and significant investment in the region.
“Tobyhanna Army Depot is home to a highly skilled workforce with a long and tested reputation for excellence,” Senator Casey said. “I’m hopeful that a personal visit by the Transportation Secretary will further make the case for Tobyhanna as a perfect home for this new air traffic control facility.”
“I visited Tobyhanna Army Depot again this month and it is clear that there would be no better geographic location for the FAA’s new integrated air traffic control facility,” said Sen. Toomey. “This defense installation already has an existing security infrastructure and access to utilities, which are key criteria outlined by the FAA. The facility’s placement at Tobyhanna could also result in significant cost savings for taxpayers. I can't imagine a better facility in all of America than Tobyhanna and I look forward to hearing from Secretary LaHood.”
Senators Casey and Toomey have worked to urge the Department of Transportation to build its new Air Traffic Control center at Tobyhanna as opposed to another state. In making the case for Tobyhanna, Casey and Toomey have cited the region’s skilled workforce and the Depot’s longstanding reputation for excellence.
With a decision looming on a new air traffic control facility, I Invited Sec LaHood to personally tour Tobyhanna A... 4sq.com/124ntEA
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 24, 2013
The full text of Casey and Toomey’s letter can be seen below:
The Honorable Ray LaHood
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
Dear Secretary LaHood:
We write today regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) intention to build a $220 million integrated air traffic control facility (ICF) in the Northeastern United States. We believe that the Tobyhanna Army Depot is an excellent location to construct the ICF. Accordingly, we invite you to visit Tobyhanna and to meet with local officials to see the benefits of the site before making a final decision.
The Tobyhanna Army Depot satisfies many of the FAA’s ICF geographic criteria. It is located within 100 miles of the New York metro area which is well within the 150-mile radius that the FAA specified as a reasonable maximum distance for potential employee relocation. The depot is centrally located near three major interstate highways that provide easy access to the facility. Further, Tobyhanna has significant existing infrastructure that will make building the ICF more cost-efficient for the FAA and the taxpayer.
We look forward to you visiting the facility and seeing the benefits of the Tobyhanna Army Depot as a location for the ICF first hand. We appreciate your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr. Pat Toomey
United States Senator United States Senator
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