Guam - Legislative Oversight Chair on the Military Buildup Senator Judi Guthertz is voicing frustration over the potential noise threat that has been plaguing the Tumon area for years. Guthertz has submitted her comments in the Environmental Impact Statement for the Mariana Islands Range Complex to make the area from the Nikko Hotel to the Guam Memorial Hospital a no-fly zone.

She is hoping to work with the military as well as the federal aviation administration to address the issue that could jeopardize the health of our tourism industry and the health of our newborn babies, our elderly sick, and ailing patients.  "I've received many calls of concerns regarding this issue plus in the past we've had incidence off low flying military aircrafts particularly jet planes coming to close to the facilities in the Tumon area," she writes.

Guthertz also recalled a 1990s case of navy jets joy-riding at near-rooftop level altitudes along the Tumon Bay Hotel Row and over GMH and other nearby health facilities.  She adds that the restriction would not include helicopters and propeller planes.