NY Senate Bill Requires Port Authority to Conduct Noise Study

This article was written by Rich Jacques.

The state Senate has passed a bill that would require the Port Authority to conduct a noise and land use compatibility study for communities in the flight paths of planes leaving JFK International and LaGuardia airports.
The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Kemp Hannon, R-Garden City, would provide a mechanism for considering the issue of aircraft noise and developing a plan to address noise issues that give due consideration to residents affected by aircraft around the United States, including major Northeast and Atlantic region airports.
“JFK, LaGuardia and Newark/Liberty airports offer convenient departure points for our residents when they wish to fly,” Hannon said. “Unfortunately, that comes at a price – aircraft noise for those on the ground. Over the years, this has steadily increased as more and more overflights have been squeezed into our airspace.  Although this is primarily an issue under federal jurisdiction, I am calling upon the PA to immediately undertake a noise study and to report those findings to New York and New Jersey, so that we can safely and sensibly address airplane noise over our area.”

In northeast Queens, residents have been engaged in a year-long fight with the Federal Aviation Administration to halt a new flight path out of LaGuardia that has resulted in planes constantly flying low over their communities.

The report, which could be available to the public by June 1, 2014, must be submitted to the governors and legislatures of both New York and New Jersey, and would require the PA to hold biennial public hearings in Queens, Kings and Nassau counties in New York and Union and Essex counties in New Jersey.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Jack Martins, who lives in the neighboring village of Mineola, will "ensure" that aircraft noise is given proper consideration by airport operators when they determine which runways and approach paths to use, according to Hannon.

Sen. Martins said jet aircraft noise affects more than just the communities immediately surrounding the airports.

"It is also a nuisance to those directly under the flight paths, which are sometimes changed without warning or public input," he said. "This bill protects our families impacted by airplane noise by requiring the Port Authority to conduct studies and hold public hearings and then take steps to fix the problem. While the bill has passed the state Senate, I encourage the public to stay involved to assure its passage in the Assembly and into law."

Ra, organizations like the Town-Village Aircraft Safety and Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC) and local residents, including Len Schaier of Port Washington, who runs a website called www.quietskies.net, have been working with Queens Assemblywoman Michele Titus, who actually introduced her own bill, to see how they can get one of the bills pushed in the Assembly.

"Hopefully we have a bill that passes and can be signed by the governor," Ra said, adding that the process is sometimes complicated because any legislation having to do with the Port Authority has to be signed into law by the governors of both New York and New Jersey. Ra said he sent the bills to the New Jersey legislature in hopes they will be introduced.

FAA grant funding may be available for conducting the study as well as any noise abatement efforts that may be recommended, according to Hannon.