Settlement Agreement & Extension
JWA Settlement Agreement and Amendments
In 1985, the City, the County of Orange, the Airport Working Group (AWG), and Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) entered into a Settlement Agreement to resolve litigation related to John Wayne Airport (JWA). Over the years, the Settlement Agreement has been amended by the Parties to adjust the terms and protect the interests of our community.
1985 Settlement Agreement
The 1985 Settlement Agreement formalized consensus between the County of Orange, the City of Newport Beach, the Airport Working Group (AWG) and Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON) on the nature and extent of facility and operational improvements that could be implemented at John Wayne Airport (JWA) through 2005.
2003 Settlement Agreement Amendment
In 2003, the original four signatories approved a series of amendments to the Settlement Agreement that allowed for additional facilities and operational capacity and continued to provide environmental protections for the local community through 2015.
2014 Settlement Agreement Amendment
In early 2012, the four signatories began discussing a second extension of the Settlement Agreement. The parties reached agreement on the definition of a "proposed project" and project alternatives to be analyzed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In October 2014, the U.S. District Court signed the stipulation order for the latest JWA settlement agreement extension. The agreement’s second extension was negotiated by the four parties initially involved in the 1985 landmark agreement – the County of Orange, the City of Newport Beach, Stop Polluting Our Newport, and the Airport Working Group. The approval represented a very important milestone for Newport Beach and all the corridor cities. If the stipulation was not granted to extend the term of the agreement, many of the protections that residents have come to rely upon could have been eliminated at the end of 2015.
2015 Settlement Agreement Amendment
The agreement was amended again in late 2015, with the approval of the 10th supplemental stipulation, which reflected new calibration of the noise monitors.