South Queens residents know the meaning of airplane noise.
They know what it is to have to stop talking countless times during a summer barbeque because a low-flying jet is overhead, or to have homes rattle from the constant stream of planes. And while the noise issues are nothing new, one elected official is saying something can – and must – be done to improve residents’ quality of life.
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) has launched an online petition for South Queens and Rockaway residents to sign and register their concerns in an effort to mitigate airplane noise. Goldfeder plans to deliver the petition to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Residents in southern Queens and Rockaway have always been plagued by airplane noise,” Goldfeder said in a statement. “I strongly urge every resident to sign this petition today and send a message to agencies that they must provide our families the quiet and peace of mind we deserve while sitting in our own homes.”
Neighborhoods in South Queens and Rockaway are hit hard by noise from JFK International Airport, to which they are adjacent, and also frequently receive additional air traffic noise from LaGuardia Airport.
Goldfeder noted that while residents understand that the close proximity to the airports obviously comes with challenges, new technology and noise mitigation techniques can be implemented to bring relief.
“Besides effects on quality of life, has has been shown that noise has an absolute impact on cardiovascular health, which meant be addressed,” said Marilyn Chapoteau, a member of the Arverne Civic.
Chapoteau went on to point out that noise levels in communities surround the city’s two airports – both of which are in Queens – exceed levels discussed in a 2014 Harvard School of Public Health article, the “Secrets of Sound Health,” which studied individuals who live along the noisiest flight paths near airports and found that they have a higher risk of being admitted to hospitals for cardiovascular disease.
Last year, Goldfeder co-sponsored a bill that would have put measures in place to mitigate noise and require a community dialogue between airport officials and residents – but Gov. Cuomo did not sign the legislation. The governor did authorize the Port Authority to work with affected communities and conduct routine sound level studies.
Goldfeder also recently held a discussion with officals from the Federal Aviation Administration and Port Authority to find better ways to reduce flight patterns and launch a dialogue with surrounding communities.
“John F. Kennedy International Airport is not going anywhere, but we can work together to develop a better partnership and find ways to mitigate the noise,” Goldfeder said.
To view the petition, visit www.stopJFKNoise.com or visit Goldfeder’s website, http://assembly.state.ny.us/
By Anna Gustafson
