Congressional Action

washington noise

IMPORTANT ACTION UPDATE!

Please fill out Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s 18th Congressional District

AIRPLANE NOISE ABATEMENT SURVEY

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Congresspeople act to assist constituents affected by aircraft noise


In several areas of the country, representatives have acted to assist groundlings in their districts by arranging meetings with the FAA or inserting various riders into the FAA funding bill.


July 16, 2015

Washington, DC – Today, Members of the Quiet Skies Caucus – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-7), Rep. Steve Israel (NY-03), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05), Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass-05), Rep. Joseph Crowley (NY-14), Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Ill-08), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill-09), Rep. Sam Farr (CA-20), Rep. Stephen Lynch (Mass-08), Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09), and Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) – sent a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster and Ranking Member Rep. Peter DeFazio with recommendations for the 2015 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act that would help address the harmful impacts of aircraft noise on communities across the country.

The letter makes the following recommendations:

  1. Mandate a robust community engagement process, including pre-decisional public hearings, for new flight paths or procedures or changes to existing flight paths and procedures.
  2. Require FAA to use supplemental noise metrics when considering the impact of aviation noise on affected communities and lower the acceptable noise threshold for affected homes and businesses.
  3. Clarify that airport operators are legally allowed to implement—and should strongly consider—noise mitigation options in communities experiencing aircraft noise levels below the current noise threshold.
  4. Reform Section 213(c)(2) of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which allows FAA to short-circuit the environmental review process when implementing new flight paths.
  5. Mandate independent research on the health impacts of aviation noise.

Chicago Rep. Mike Quigley inserted into the FAA reauthorization bill language requiring the FAA to develop long and short term plans for mitigation of noise around O’Hare.


 

Phoenix Rep Ed Pastore inserted a rider into the reauthorization bill requiring the FAA to identify appropriate mitigation measures and enforce adherence to flight procedures at Sky Harbor Airport.


Santa Cruz Rep Sam Farr has arranged a meeting between the noise advocacy group Save Our Skies Santa Cruz and the FAA to discuss noise concerns.


New York Rep Lee Zeldin inserted a rider into the reauthorization bill forbidding the FAA to interfere with the efforts of constituents to mitigate noise around East Hampton Airport on Long Island. Rep Grace Meng has asked the EPA to take control of airplane noise in Queens. She also secured noise monitors for her district. Rep Steve Israel demanded that the FAA require that JFK use a runway resulting in less overnight noise in his district. He also arranged for a noise monitor in the city of East Hills.


Minneapolis Rep Keith Ellison held a community forum and communicated with Michael Huerta. The FAA appears to be stonewalling.


Boston Rep Stephen Lynch threatens to withhold $25M from the FAA budget until FAA agrees to negotiate with his constituents.


 

Image lifted from media.nbcwashington.com. Thanks!