Queens MP calls on port authority to tackle aircraft noise – QNS.com

Congresswoman Grace Meng recently announced a new initiative to reduce excessive aircraft noise in North East Queens.

In a letter to the New York Port Authority and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton, Meng said the LaGuardia Airport Noise Compatibility Program introduced by the agency to address passenger noise. planes do not go far enough for the residents of Queens who have been too affected. long.

The port authority has proposed a multi-year plan to mitigate noise in communities that live near airports, with several noise reduction recommendations that will be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for final review in early 2022.

The founding member and co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus called for “additional recommendations” to significantly reduce noise in Queens and the surrounding area.

“Aircraft noise pollution is not just an annoyance or inconvenience for many of my constituents. While this certainly affects the value of their properties and their comfort, high levels of noise pollution also have direct effects on their health. Data and studies conducted over decades confirm that noise pollution is a public health problem, ”Meng said in his letter.

One of the recommendations made by the port authority included changing departure procedures such as NTHNS and GLDMAN, both of which depart from runway 13 at LaGuardia Airport and fly south over a vast Flushing area. The agency’s solution is to have planes fly south earlier than they currently do, so there is less chance of flying over populated areas like Flushing.

“I am concerned that the implementation of measures related to runway 13 will take up to three years. Being within the limits of DNL 65, it is unacceptable to expect residents of Flushing to endure these noise levels any longer, as current exposure to aircraft noise negatively impacts their health and well- to be. While I applaud the community improvements that these downsizing measures would bring to Flushing, I ask you to consider speeding up their development process, ”the lawmaker said.

In the letter, Meng requested that the following be included in the final version of the port authority report: increased flight expenses using a combination of flight procedures; Noise canceling departure procedure 1 (NADP1) on runway 13; reduced use of departures from runway 13; optimized profile descent procedures at night; extension of the sound insulation of eligible dwellings to residences outside the DNL 65 contours; include communities exposed to noise levels below DNL 65 in the scope of the study; and training of air traffic controllers on noise sensitivity and management oversight.

“Airplane noise continues to negatively impact the people of Queens, including my constituents, and they need relief,” said MP Meng. “This persistent noise pollution is not only an annoyance or an inconvenience. It has direct effects on their health, adversely affects their quality of life and affects the value of properties. Many voters also report stress and trouble sleeping. We need more solutions and I urge the Port Authority to include additional recommendations in this report, in particular the suggestions that I specify in my letter. I look forward to a quick response.

In August, Meng reintroduced the Quiet Communities Act, a bill that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take over efforts to mitigate aircraft noise. This would reopen the agency’s Noise Control and Noise Control Bureau, which previously oversaw the country’s noise control activities until it was funded by the Reagan administration in 1981.

With additional reporting by Jenna Bagcal.