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Meng Expresses Disappointment over Passage of Short-Term FAA Bill; Legislation Does Not Include Any Provisions to Combat Airplane Noise over Queens

March 15, 2016

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) today expressed disappointment over passage of a short-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill that contains no provisions to combat airplane noise.

The House approved the Airport and Airway Extension Act (H.R. 4721) last night that extends the operating authority of the FAA through mid-July. However, Meng would have preferred a long-term renewal with measures to mitigate aircraft noise. Since 2012, the amount of airplane noise over Queens has increased significantly due to the FAA’s implementation of new flight patterns over the borough.

“Passing a short-term extension of the FAA bill does nothing to mitigate the blistering sounds of airplane noise over Queens – noise that continues to ruin the quality of life in our borough,” said Meng. “This is the second time in five months that the House has passed a short-term measure without any anti-noise provisions, and the delay only continues to kick the can down the road. Relief can’t come soon enough for Queens residents. Something must be done to mitigate the barrage of airplane noise over our communities. I urge the House to bring up a long term-bill that provides solutions to aircraft noise as soon as this temporary extension expires in July.”

This past summer, Meng – and other member of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus (of which she is a founder and Co-Chair) – sent a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster and Ranking Member Rep. Peter DeFazio calling for noise mitigation to be part of the FAA bill. The specific recommendations included the following:

  1. Mandating 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. Requiring the 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. Clarifying 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. Reforming 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. Mandating independent research on the health impacts of aviation noise.

Click here to view the full letter.

The FAA’s current operating authority expires on March 31. The last short-term extension began on October 1, 2015.