Port of Oakland Commission certifies environmental report for Oakland Airport expansion

The proposed expansion of Oakland Airport passed another hurdle on Friday after the Port of Oakland Commission unanimously certified the Environmental Impact Report at its board meeting Thursday to replace an aging terminal and modernize existing infrastructure at the airport.

The project proposal will head to the Federal Aviation Agency for a federal environmental review of the project to streamline passenger service and modernize the airport. But opponents of the project say the EIR is “faulty and incomplete” in its analysis of the environmental and public health consequences of the project.

“The importance of the proposed OAK Terminal Modernization and Development Project to the future of our airport and our region cannot be overstated,” Port of Oakland Board President Michael Colbruno said. “This major milestone allows the Port to continue moving the project forward while boosting local job creation and economic activity.”

The main feature of the project proposal is the replacement of parts of Terminal 1, which was built in the 1960s and is now out of date with modern standards for efficiency, safety and seismic standards, according to the Port of Oakland. The existing terminal would be demolished and replaced with a new terminal erected within the existing airport footprint. The project’s advocates say the replacement of the terminal would assist Oakland Airport in meeting “forecasted regional air travel demand” over the next two decades.

Opponents of the project rejected the commissioners’ reasoning, however, stating that air travel is down at Oakland Airport since the pandemic and continues to fall with the rise of virtual work. The Stop OAK Expansion Alliance said the project would “dramatically increase toxic air pollution breathed by airport workers and surrounding communities,” and the final EIR failed to perform a Community Health Impact Assessment.

“We are exploring legal and other options to delay this project in order to force the Port to comply with state law to protect the health of our vulnerable children of East Oakland subject to air pollution under the flight paths, whose mothers’ testimony in the Port hearing room last night the Commissioners chose to ignore,” said David Foecke, a steering committee member for Stop OAK Expansion Alliance.

Port of Oakland commissioners say they are committed to limiting the environmental impact of the new development on the local community while updating the airport.

“We celebrate the Board’s certification of the Final EIR and what it means for our mission to serve travelers with the modern state-of-the-art facilities that they deserve,” Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon said. “We look forward to beginning the federal environmental review process as we strive toward the bright future we envision for OAK.”