The Defense Claim:

    The Federal Government Has Preemption over the City and             County of San Francisco in the Area of Airport Runway Noise

                         
                               What the Law Says:
 
         

          1958 - Section 1305 of the Federal Aviation Act exempts proprietary (Ed.
                     note: the City and County of San Francisco) powers and rights from
                     federal preemption.

         1976 - The U. S. District Court articulated the principle of the "proprietor's
                    exception".

         1978 - The Airline Deregulation Act limited preemption to rates, routes, and
                    services.  

                    49 U. S. C. section 41713 (b) (1), and (3). This subsection does not limit ...
                    a political subdivision of a State (Ed. note: The City and County of San
                    Francisco) ... that owns or operates an airport ... from carrying out its
                    proprietary powers and rights.

          1979 - The California Supreme Court ruled that federal preemption does not bar
                     a nuisance action against a city-owned airport for personal  injuries                                sustained as a result of noise from aircraft using the facility. It also found
                     that preemption does not bar plaintiffs' claims.            
                                              Greater Westchester Homeowners' Association v. City of Los Angeles
                                                        26 Cal.3d 86.    603 P.2d 1329      160 Cal. Rptr. 733        
 
         2000 - Thus, the task of protecting the local population from airport noise has
                     fallen to the agency, usually the local government, the owns and operates
                     the airport.
                                                     Federal Register/Vol.65, No. 136/Friday, July 14, 2000/Notices


         Without question, the Code of Federal Regulations states that Congress
         expressly provided that the proprietary powers and rights of municipal airport
         owners are not preempted by Federal law.