Treehuggers aren’t happy about FAA’s requirements for the East Hampton Airport

Environmentalists are taking issue with East Hampton Town’s efforts to comply with a 2013 Federal Aviation Administration notice on trees near the runway. But before the town gets to chopping around a designated clear zone, the possible ecological impact should be evaluated, the East Hampton Environmental Coalition warned. But the extent of the proposed clearing may be excessive regardless of environmental consequences, according to East Hampton attorney David Gruber, a member of the airport management committee. The FAA’s standards are geared toward larger airports with more plane traffic, not small operations like the East Hampton Airport, Gruber told the East Hampton Star. Residents will get a chance to weigh in at the airport management advisory committee meeting on Oct. 28. [EHS] — Cathaleen Chen