Delaware County’s elected local and state officials were elated Friday over the Government Accountability Office’s plans to push the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed airspace redesign plan at the top of its investigation list.

They were also in consensus that the final decision on the plan, scheduled to be announced in August, should be postponed pending the outcome of the GAO’s probe.

However, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who announced the GAO probe Thursday, said even if the FAA makes its final decision of approving the airspace redesign plan in August it would take eight to 12 months for planning before implementing it — and the GAO probe would be done before that.

“And right now there is no money appropriated to do the implementation,” Sestak said Friday. “They have to come to Congress to do that,” which will be voting on FAA appropriations and reauthorization.

In effect, Sestak indicated the Record of Decision in August by the FAA is not carved in stone.

The U.S. GAO is a group that investigates how federal tax dollars are spent. It will start evaluating the effects of the redesign plan immediately, Sestak said.

The redesign would change flight paths at the airport and send thousands of jets over several residential communities in the county. It is expected to reduce the growing problem of flight delays.

The public outcry was considered in the GAO’s decision, Sestak said. About 2,000 county residents turned out at an FAA meeting on noise mitigation May 1 in Tinicum and hundreds showed up for one prior to that in Ridley Township.

Sestak said he had spoken to the head of the FAA about six weeks ago and asked them to delay their final decision and “re-look at all the evidence and redo the process correctly.”

The response was that this study has been going on for 10 years and “it was obvious that they were going to continue to proceed,” he said.

“Out of that, we then decided we would proceed with the GAO,” after talking to Congressional leaders, Sestak said.

“And if the GAO comes up finding that the FAA process was seriously flawed, we will then use that to have the FAA go back to step one and begin again,” he said. “And we believe when they look at the true costs and marginal benefits, they will look for other options than flying over Delaware County.”

“We also have litigation, which Delaware County is ready to do,” he said. “We’re going to watch the appropriations and authorization bill (for the FAA).” Sestak didn’t expect the FAA to do anything while the GAO study is going on.

Delaware County Council Chairman Andrew Reilly said, “Any scrutiny which we can put on the airspace redesign process would be helpful because we need to establish and prove that the FAA is overestimating the benefits of the plan and underestimating the burden the plan will have on county residents.

“The real issue is that if their plan is implemented, it will only decrease the average flight delay at Philadelphia International Airport by 24 seconds.”

He added that County Council still intends to go to court should “we receive an adverse decision in August.”

Reilly said he understood that the FAA still intends to make its record of decision in August and he hoped it would delay doing so until the GAO investigation is completed.

Tinicum Commissioners President Tom Giancristoforo, whose township includes a major portion of the airport, said Sestak and fellow Congressman Rob Andrews, of New Jersey, “deserve a lot of credit for standing up for the quality of life for the residents of Delaware County.”

Giancristoforo said it would be “premature” if the FAA made a final decision in August without awaiting the outcome of the GAO probe.

“I’m confident that the GAO is going to come up with some very interesting information,” he said.

Ridley Park Mayor Henry “Hank” Eberle said, “When I read the Daily Times headlines (Friday), I was elated, like we’re getting there.”

He also supported a delay by the FAA in reaching a final decision in August and the end result will be that the GAO will determine that the plan should not be implemented at all.

“So much harm for so little gain,” Eberle said. “This shows the importance and the power of the people, because of all the folks that showed up at the Holiday Inn.”

State Rep. Brian Lentz, D-161, of Swarthmore, said, “I think it’s a good thing that a third party is looking into this and I hope it does delay (the final decision).

“This dovetails perfectly with what we’re doing in the state house to try to create a regional airport authority,” Lentz said.

He added that if the FAA shelves this bad plan, it allows the opportunity to approach this from a truly regional approach.

“And that’s why I’m pursuing along with (Rep.) Ron Raymond, the regional airport authority,” Lentz said. Raymond, R-162, of Ridley Park, echoed Lentz’s hope for a postponement in the FAA’s decision this August.

“As the congressman mentioned, the overwhelming opposition from not only every municipality in Delaware County, but the county government, state and federal elected officials — as well as the tens of thousands of Delaware County residents who opposed it — has sent a clear message to the FAA that this is an unwanted plan,” Raymond said. “The FAA has not made their case that this benefits anybody. It’s government at its worst.”