An Army Corps of Engineers Biologist has been in Cleveland these past few days looking at the proposed expansion site. City officials say they'll break ground on the new runway right after the Corps approves the project. But environmentalists and other groups are doing everything they can to stop the city from moving forward with its plan. 90.3's Janet Babin reports.
Some travelers say it's the most outdated and overcrowded.
Cleveland Mayor Mike White's been trying to expand it for months. Phase one of the Mayor's plan calls for a new 9,000 foot runway, and the extension of the existing runway to 11,000 feet. The trouble is that the runways will be built on top of Abram Creek, filling in 88 acres of wetlands. Biologist Alan Anacheka-Nasemann with the US Army Corps of Engineers says wetlands are vital to our landscape. Wetlands act as kidneys and filter the water we drink, and they provide shelter and habitat for animals.