ATC
Congress blocks Loran turnoff
Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, loran has once more rebounded from attempts on its life.

Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, loran has once more rebounded from attempts on its life. Loran has always been owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which since the late 1990s has been trying to close down the system. Congress has consistently demurred and has each year put continuing operating funds for loran back into the agency’s budget.

In its FY07 estimates, the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard’s new parent, also allotted zero funding for loran. On this occasion, the House and Senate Conference Committee responded by placing several administrative roadblocks for DHS to overcome, including the unusual one of requesting the names of those officials supporting loran closure in government entities other than the Coast Guard that would be affected. Reportedly, this might cause some officials to reassess their positions, and loran will live on for another day.