The Honorable Norman Mineta
Department of Transportation
400 7^th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC  20590 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

On November 29, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a closed briefing on security at sports stadiums and arenas.  We were particularly concerned about the reaction of the professional and collegiate leagues and teams to the events of September 11 and how the American public was reacting to the security measures taken.   

Appearing before the Committee were representatives of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee. 

We requested this briefing to seek information and assurances on the state of security readiness at sports venues and to ask how Congress might assist in strengthening such security.  The sports representatives offered a number of recommendations, including a unanimous recommendation that the current restrictions on stadium and arena overflights remain in force indefinitely.  These restrictions were imposed originally in the FAA's Notice to Airmen FDC 1/0298 and recently re-imposed by Notice to Airmen FDC 1/3090 and then again yesterday by Notice to Airmen FDC 1/3353. 

Athletic contests are high profile and widely attended events that present unique security considerations, as your Department has already recognized.  We are persuaded that stadium and arena overflights create serious security concerns for the thousands of people present at these sporting events and the facilities themselves.  Accordingly, we write to urge that the Department continue to enforce restrictions on stadium and arena overflights.