Photo Courtesy of JFK International Airport
President Trump earlier this month signed the FAA Reauthorization Act into law.
By Forum Staff
Key provisions to address excessive aircraft noise concerns were included in the recently passed Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, according to the New York elected officials who helped author those elements of the measure.
The legislation, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday, Oct. 5, includes U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) provision to require the FAA to designate a regional ombudsman in each FAA region to serve as a point of contact with the public, including community groups, to address noise, pollution, and safety issues. It also includes a provision pushed by Gillibrand and Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) to require the FAA to finalize its study into alternatives to the current 65 Day-Night Sound Level metric for measuring the impact of aircraft noise to people on the ground. Additionally, the bill directs the agency to work with an institution of higher education in order to conduct a study on health risks to residents exposed to a range of noise levels from such flights.
“Communities near airports throughout New York continue to suffer from excessive aircraft noise, but they do not have adequate opportunities to take their concerns to the FAA in a meaningful way. New Yorkers deserve to have their voices heard, and I’m pleased that the FAA Reauthorization Bill includes provisions I fought for to require the FAA to designate local ombudsmen that address residents’ concerns,” Gillibrand said on Thursday. “This legislation takes proactive steps to help alleviate community and health concerns and I am very pleased that it has been signed into law.”
In addition to the noise pollution provisions, Meng noted that she secured a number of other items in the FAA bill, including:
• A provision requiring the FAA to update its cybersecurity policies in order to protect aircraft electronic systems from cyberattacks.
• A provision establishing a Collegiate Training Initiative that prepares students for careers involving unmanned aircraft systems. Under the Collegiate Training Initiative, the FAA partners with colleges across the country to offer degree programs in aviation and air traffic control.
• A provision requiring the Government Accountability Office to issue a report to Congress on each air carrier’s employee training policies regarding racial, ethnic, and religious nondiscrimination. The measure would also require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and share with air carriers best training practices that would be crafted in response to the GAO report.
• A provision Meng cosponsored that encourages women and girls to enter the aviation industry. Under the measure, an advisory board would be created to expand scholarship opportunities and enhance aviation training, mentorship, education, and outreach programs to women.
“Residents of Queens continue to do battle against the deafening airplane noise that has plagued our borough for way too long,” Meng said. “I have worked on numerous initiatives to combat this problem and many of the provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act will help us make major progress in this fight. The people of Queens deserve relief!”
The new law reauthorizes funding of the FAA through 2023.
