Postal Service says Reno hub plans carry no environmental impact

RENO, Nev. - The U.S. Postal Service has concluded its plans to make Reno-Tahoe International Airport a regional distribution hub would have no significant environmental impact on the area, a service spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The completion of the long-awaited environmental assessment with no significant problems cited clears the way for the controversial distribution hub to move to Reno, Postal Service spokeswoman Teresa Rudkin told the Sparks Tribune.

However, Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., has said in the past he will insist a more extensive environmental impact statement be completed. Local residents who oppose the project primarily because of added nighttime noise also have said they will sue if an EIS is not conducted.

Rudkin said the decision of where to locate the hub will now be dictated by operational and technical considerations.

In addition to Reno, the EA studied Sacramento Mather Airport's suitability for the permanent hub. The USPS has been temporarily operating out of Mather for the past year. The EA found no significant impacts from locating the hub at either location.

''Both airports have been in the running for six months,'' Rudkin said. ''We have been operating out of Mather successfully for a year.''

Although the actual document will not be available for public review until Oct. 2, the environmental assessment has suggested no measures to mitigate noise from late-night flights the hub will generate, the newspaper reported.

Airport officials said they had expected the assessment would conclude there would be no significant impact.

''From where we stand, it's positive news,'' airport spokesman Adam Mayberry said Wednesday.

''If they had found a significant impact in some element of the study, they would have been required to do the much larger, much more costly environmental impact statement,'' he said.

''I think it gives them the green light. It's just a question of whether they intend to step on the gas. The decision rests with the Postal Service and whether they want to go to Mather or Reno.''

Airport critic Jackie Decker said she is not surprised by the results of the assessment.

''Without having seen the document, all I can say is I hope the hub goes to Mather,'' Decker said.