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fSDO ' TH E SECRETAR Y O F TRANSPORTATIOrvl.ij^JJopQp^^^ ^ ".•VASMiNGTO

N D C 205s O ' .-'^•''^'i/'fT'on c Jul y 21 , 201 1 

### )PERATION S

?0! l JU L 2 8 P 3 : 0 5 Th e Honorable Danie

l K. Inouy c Unite dState s Senat

e Washington . D

C 2051 0 Dea r Senator Inouyc : Than k yo u fo r your letter regardin g Essentia

l Ai r Servic e (EAS ) a

t Kalaupapa , Hawaii . A s yo u know , afte

r th e meetin g wit

h member s of

the communit

y o n Marc h 24 , th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n solicite dasecon droun do f proposal s fro

mcarrier s intereste d i n providin g EAS thai woul dmeet the specia l need s of the community . I

n respons e t

o th e solicitation , w

e receive dproposal s fro

mfou r applicants : Abov e I

t All Inc. , Pacifi c Wings , Schuma n Aviatio n Company Ltd. . an dSovereig n Air , Inc . O n Ma y 20 , w e sen t e-mail s t o ke y communit

y .stakeholders solicitin g thei r comment s o

n the proposals . I

n respons e t

o our request , w

e receivedcomment s fro

mth e National Par

k Service , the Airport s Division o f

the State ol'Hawai i Departmen t o f Transportation , th e State o f Hawai i Departmen

t o f Health , andsevera

l residents . A s th e EA S carrier-selectio n cas e i s competitiv e an di s currentl y under

revie w by the Department , I a

msure you understan dtha t I cannot commen t o n th e merit s o f

th e proposals . I assur e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t wil l full y conside r all o f th e proposal s an

dexamin e eac h applicant' s abilit

y t o provid e schedule dai

r .service , fh

c Department

wil l then mak

e it s awar dbase do n the selectio n criteri adetaile di n th e governin g statutes , includin g communit y views . A s i s ou r norma l practice . I a

mplacin g acopy of

\^rJ^ttc r an dm y respons e i

n Docke t DOT OST-2000-677 3 a s acontac t outsid e the rj^ior

dofthj/proceeding . I appreciawyou r interes t i n th e EA S Program . I

f I ca n provid e furtlft

r iniis^nnatio

n o r assistance , pleas^a^ I fre

e t o cal l me ..?0236673'16 ' OSr\V85-121-XEVVCP2 4 01:26:3 0 p.m . 00 - 

### 'SIO-1106,17-00 1

DANIE L K . INOUY E

HAAAJ I COMK'int f

O N wTM0?fil/»I10MS . CH4!HMft

N COWMIJ^ f Of ) «»»MtflCt . SCilSCt . ANOTRAHSPORTAIIO M COMVllI H ONIHBASAfFAW S oiMocnAii c sncniN C AN D COOROINAHO.S COMMITTE E CCMUinE E 0' ' HUll S AN D AOUIM^TnATlO N 

# Bnitc dState s Senat e SUIT E 722 , HAR T SENAT E OFFICF . BUHDIN O WASHINGTON . D C 20510-110 2

(202 ) 224-333 4 TA X (202 1 224-«74 7 PPINC C i(uiiio»tucnAi.eun.Di'< G nOO M 7-717 . .10

0 AL A MQA>< A BOUlF.VAn o HOMOIULU . HI9M4 0 437 5 1008 1 5<!-2M J 10 1 AUPUH

I SIHEET . IK

S 7 M llllO.HI9«77ft-«?7 1 IBOS I BIS-084 4 ' A X 1808 ) 9 « I-S I 6 1 Jun e 14,201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra y LaHoo d Secretar y o f

Transportatio n U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 New Jerse y Av e S E Washingto n D.C . 2059 0 Dea r Secretar y LaHood : Than k yo u agai n fo r

meetin g wit h member s o f th e Kalaupap acommunit y o n Marc h 24,201 1 t o liste n t o thei r concern s regardin g reliabl e an dqualit y ai r servic e a s i t relate s t o th e Essentia l Ai r Servic e (EAS ) program . A s yo u know , th e purpos e o f th e EA S progra ma s establishe db y Congres s i s t o ensur e tfaa

t smal l communitie s retai n alin k t o th e nationa l transportatio n syste m an dreceiv e continue dservic e previousl y provide db y certifie dai r carrier s befor e deregulation . Kalaupap ai s aremote , rura l unincorporate dcommunit y o n th e islan do f Moloka i withi n Kalawa o County . Kalaupap ai s locate da t th e bas e o f

2,000-fee t

hig h se a cliffs . Th e Hawai i Departmen t o f Healt h i s responsibl e fo r th e administratio n of

th e county . Th e coont y share s th e sam e boundarie s wit h th e Kalaupap aNationa l Historica l Park , an dencompasse s th e Kalaupap aSettlemen t wher e beginnin g i n th e J860s , th e Kingdo mo f

Hawaii , th e Republi c o f Hawau , th e territory , an dth e stat e onc e exile d person s sufferin g fro mHansen' s disease . Th e Kalaupap aPeninsul awa s selecte d becaus e i t

wa s both isolate dan dfairl y inaccessible . Th e quarantin e polic y wa s lifte di n 1969 , afte r

th e diseas e becam e treatabl e o n a n outpatien t basi s an dwa s202366734 6 0STW85-121-XEWCP2 4 04:26:4 4 p.m . 06 - 

### SlO-110617-00 1

Jun e 14,201 1 Pag e 2 rendere dnon-contagioiis . However , man y o f th e patien t

resident s chos e t o remain , an dth e stat e ha s allowe dthe mt o sta y ther e fo r th e res t o f thei r lives . Currently , ther e ar e 1 8 patients . I strongl y suppor t

th e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportation' s positio n tha t i t i s i o th e publi c Interes t

t o procee dwit

h ane w carrier-selectio n case . Ful l an dfai r consideratio n mos t

b e given t o ai r

carrier s tha t

ca n provid e servic e reliabilit y an d hav e th e suppor t

o f th e community . Than k

you for you r attentio n t o th b Importan t matter . Aloha ,

Dia:at y UnitedState i Seikto r