USDapartmento f

. ,C i (JPrRATiO^i ^ Transportatio n - - iv

. , ,, , ,20 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S

E f\Mu-^^u

. r_ . Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e O

f th e Secretar y P > n - , ^ ->- , o f Transportatio n ' ' " ' - -5- 3


### Th e Honorable Ti

mMurph y SE P 2 1 201 1 U.S
. Hous e of

Representative s Washington , DC 2051 5 Dea r Congressma

n Murphy
. Than k yo u fo r you r letter supportin g th e proposa

l submitte dby th e WestmorelandCount y Airpor t Authorit y fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Smal l Communit

y Program)
. Th e Smal l Commxmit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relatedt o high airfare s andinsufficien t service
. Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e the funds to mak

e amaximu

mof 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s in th e sam e State
. I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitud e in developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , the statut

e provide s significan

t flexibilit y i n ho w th e financia

l assistanc e ma y b e used
. O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue da n orde r requesting tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2
. A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understandtha

t I cannot commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal
. I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n t

o al l proposal s tha

t have bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y o f you r lette r an dthi s respons e i n Docke

t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor do f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e furthe r information or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,

AlohaLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra m

## 34^A W 

# W C TI M MURPH Y 18T H DISTRICT , PENNSYLVANI A COMMITTE E O N ENERG Y AN D COMMERC E HEALT H COMMERCE , TRAD E AN D CONSUME R PROTECTIO N CO-CHAIR , STEE L CAUCU S ^ \ CO-CHAIR , 2 1 STCENTUR Y HEALT H 1 CAR E CAUCU S | Cg^-CHAIR , MENTA L HEALT H CAUCU S CO^CHAIR , FRIEND S O F IRELAN D SUBURBA N CAUCU S

WEBSITE : murphy.house.gov 

## '^auB t o f ^zprssttituttm B liaHijinston
. 1012051 5 Jul y 19,201 1 Aloh aLe y Associat e Director Smal l Community Ai r

Servic e Developmen t

Program , X-5 5 U s Departmen t

O f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave , S E Washington , D.C
. 2059 0 Dea r Associat e Directo r

Ley : I a mi n receip t

o f correspondenc e fro mth e Westmorelan dCount y Airpor t Authorit y (WCAA) , operator s o f

th e Amol dPalme r

Regiona l Airpor t

(LBE ) locate di n Unity Township , Pennsylvania
. WCA A ha s applie dfor th e Smal l Community Ai r Servic e Developmen t

Program , an dI writ e t o yo u toda y o n thei r behalf
. Westmorelan dCount y ha s apopulatio n o f approximatel y 400,000 , an dth e airport ha s th e potentia l of

servin g u p t o 750,00 0 resident s of th e Greate r

Pittsburg h area . Th e Amol dPalme r Regiona l Airpor t

bega n servicin g commercia l flight s t o Pittsburg h Internationa l (PIT ) i n th e 1980's
. Th e departur e o f

U S Airway s fromth e regio n an dth e bankruptc y o f Northwes t

Airline s commercia l servic e a t

th e hu b hav e lef

t LB E solel y servicin g charte r flights
. I n February , LB E contracted : Spiri t

Airline s t o provid e commercia l servic e t o Ft
. Lauderdale , Florida , an dMyrtl e Beach , Sout

h Carolina
. Sinc e then , mor e tha n 30,00 0 passenger s hav e flow n throug h th e terminal , an dwith fundin g throug h thi s program , LB E wil l expan dit s marketin g abilitie s t o attrac t mor e businesses , educationa l institutions , an drecreationa l travelers
. Th e Westmorelan dCount y Airpor t Authorit y als o plan s t o us e thi s fundin g t o expan dawarenes s o f th e airport' s potentia l a s ahu b t o PIT , know n a s 'Th e Pittsburg h Connector. " I urg e yo u t o giv e thi s proposa l fo r fundin g you r

ful l an dfai r

consideration
. Than k

yo u fo r you r tim e an dattentio n t o thi s matter . Sincerely ,

Ti mMurph y ; . Membe r o f Congress

D 32 2 CANNO N HOUS E OFFIC E BUILDIN G

WASHINGTON , D C 2051 5 (202)225-230 1 FAX : (202)225-184 4 D 50 4 WASHI^IGTO N ROA D PITTSBURGH , P A 1522 8 (412)344-558 3 FAX : (412)429-509 2 L H 204 0 FREDERICKSO N PLAC E ROUT E 13 6 GREENSBURG , P A 1560 1 (724)850-731 2 FAX : (724 ) 850-731 5