Senate to consider enhanced TFR enforcement over weapons storage facilities

Senators Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) have introduced legislation that would require enhanced enforcement of temporary flight restriction areas (TFRs) over chemical weapons storage depots in seven states.

"The issue is not enforcement but information," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "The way to prevent TFR incursions is for the FAA to give pilots reliable, graphical information on TFR locations. Flight service should be able to tell pilots 100 percent of the time that a proposed route will take them close to a TFR. And maps of all TFRs should be available from the FAA on the Internet."

The legislation, an amendment to the Homeland Security bill, would direct the FAA to strictly enforce TFRs over Department of Defense chemical weapons storage depots. DOD would be required to consider maintaining combat air patrols over the facilities and to tell the FAA whether the TFR is large enough to give the military enough time to identify and intercept aircraft near the facility.

AOPA Legislative Affairs staff has met with Sen. Bayh's staff and has been in touch with Senator Shelby to have changes made to the amendment that would help pilots know where the TFRs are so that avoiding them is made easier. No date has been scheduled for a vote on this amendment.

Chemical weapons storage depots are located in Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Indiana. See AOPA's notams and TFR page for the specific locations.

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