Information Airport noise and pollution

FAA Noise Policy Review Deadline

info@nqsc.org 

Dear Colleagues for Quiet Skies:

Although many of you have previously been notified about the FAA's
"Noise Policy Review", it bears repeating that the deadline for public
comment is September 29th.  According to the FAA, the purpose of the
review is to evaluate its current regulations and procedures based on
input received from the public and stakeholders. Also, includes the
agency's current use of DNL or Day-Night Average Sound Level as its
primary noise metric for assessing cumulative aircraft noise exposure.

Also under review will be:

1. If and how alternative noise metrics may be used in lieu of or in
addition to DNL to better inform agency decisions and improve FAA’s
disclosure of noise impacts.

2. The community’s understanding of noise impacts and how to better
manage and respond to community’s aviation noise concerns.

3. Ways to improve communications on proposed noise-related agency
actions.

4. The findings from ongoing noise research, including the Neighborhood
Environmental Survey and other research related to health impacts,
speech interference, sleep disturbance, and economic impacts.

Find the public comment section here:   
https://www.faa.gov/noisepolicyreview

Please share with your membership.  Again, the comment deadline is
September 29th.

Have a quiet day.
nqsc.org

Permission to post from the Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition

June 16, 2023 

Latest Updates on the Slot/Perimeter Rule Fight at DCA  

A BIG THANKS to all who made calls and sent emails about this issue to our Senators and Congressman this week!  Your actions are making a difference.  

HIGHLIGHTS: 

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a markup of the FAA Reauthorization.  An amendment to add more flights to DCA was withdrawn, and the committee ultimately passed the bill out of committee without any changes to the slot and perimeter rules.   

On Wednesday, Senators Van Hollen, Cardin, Kaine and Warner published an editorial in the Washington Post (June 14) stating that  

National Airport Changes Spell Disaster for Our Constituents, and Punchbowl News provided a detailed behind-the-scenes analysis of the fight in Congress (June 15): Battle Lines Drawn on FAA Fight 

On Thursday, there was more drama as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation suddenly postponed their markup of the bill after confusion about last-minute amendments and deals that had not been fully shared with Committee members, including one to add more flights at DCA.  On Thursday evening, the Washington Post reported on the possible Senate Committee back-room deal to add more flights (June 15):  Senate Deal Would Add Four Long-Distance Flights to National Airport

Today, the entire Montgomery County Council sent a letter (attached) to Senators Cardin and Van Hollen urging them to continue to stand firm against any weakening of the slot/perimeter rules.  

To be continued.... 

SO -- IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY -- PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL!  

Let our MD legislators know how important this issue is to you, 

and thank them for their support!

Senator Cardin: Shannon_Frede@cardin.senate.gov

Senator Van Hollen: Deborah_Haynie@vanhollen.senate.gov

Congressman Jamie Raskin:  Lucy.Shaw@mail.house.gov 

Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition
Click here to file Noise Complaints:https://viewpoint.emsbk.com/dca3
MC Quiet Skies Coalition website:www.MoCoQuietSkies.org

Working-Class Americans Inhale Private Jet Fumes; National Public Radio, Dec. 26, 2022

READ MORE →

Information about the severe health risks of aircraft noise and concentrated flight paths, go to

Study: Airport Flight Patterns Influence Health Care Costs; The Business Monthly, Oct. 3, 2022

READ MORE →

In the years leading up to the pandemic, aviation emitted roughly a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, about as much as the entire continent of South America in 2021. - New York Times Feb. 6, 2023

The Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition (SMFSC) mission is to represent citizens and community associations in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The mission of the Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition is to represent concerned citizens in the Maryland counties of Prince George’s and Charles committed to resolving the excessive levels of aircraft noise and air pollution imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration's flight paths and procedures at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA). 

Our Goal

The timely implementation of a fair and equitable air traffic plan for DCA that minimizes aircraft noise and pollution affecting the residents of Southern Maryland. 

In furtherance of this mission, our objectives are to:

• Create a public forum where concerned community residents, organizations, and businesses can collaborate to achieve shared goals

• Educate the public, media, elected representatives, airports, and the FAA on community concerns and possible solutions

• Cooperate with local, state, regional, and national groups addressing similar air traffic concerns

• Work closely with elected representatives and policymakers to identify effective administrative, legal, legislative, and environmental solutions

• Collaborate with the FAA, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), and DCA Noise Working Group to identify and implement solutions with a clear timeline and realistic outcome for all parties

The new flight paths and procedures into and out of Reagan National Airport (DCA), most severely impacted the neighborhoods of Accokeek (CDC), Bryans Road (CDC), Bennsville (CDC) and Fort Washington.

Four major changes have led to the drastically increased air traffic, frequency, intensity, and noise over Prince George’s County residential areas:

1.      NextGen:  To support airlines’ desire to further increase flight capacity at DCA, the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") in 2013 began implementing new satellite-based flight procedures known as Next Generation Air Transportation System (“NextGen”). The FAA's new nationwide flight procedures, collectively known as “NextGen,” employ GPS/satellite-based technology. Unfortunately, these procedures concentrate all the airplane traffic, noise, and pollution into narrow bands above specific neighborhoods that are forced to absorb all the environmental, health, and human costs. 

These newly formed flight paths send hundreds of disruptively loud, low-altitude flights over our homes, schools, parks, and businesses each day. The SMFSC represents neighborhoods with approximately 4,000 homes, 13,000 residents, and numerous K-12 schools.

2.           Lower Altitude Arrivals:  As part of NextGen, airplanes descend sooner and at much lower altitudes than before.  These descent procedures impose much greater noise on underlying communities. 

3.           Flight Path Changes at DCA:  In 2015, the FAA eliminated three well-established flight paths for airplanes arriving at Reagan National Airport (DCA) and replaced them with a new flight path that directs flights inland over Prince George’s County neighborhoods instead of over the Potomac River. 

4.           Hours of Operation and Airport Capacity:  Airplane traffic at DCA has increased significantly in recent years, pushing departing, and arriving flights into extremely early and late hours.   Unfortunately, DCA has no quiet hour flight restrictions even though it is in the middle of a densely populated urban area.   Large and loud “mainline” jets have become the unwelcome new alarm clocks and sleep disrupters for many residents.   

NextGen channelizes previously dispersed air traffic into narrow flight corridors so that airplanes can land and take off in rapid succession, one after the other.

The FAA also allows arriving flights to descend sooner and fly lower for longer stretches, which increases noise in areas 10-15+ miles from airports that did not previously experience significant aircraft noise.

Concurrent with NextGen implementation, the FAA also shifted arrival and departure flight paths from the west side of the Potomac River to the east side of the River without notifying Maryland officials or conducting any environmental analyses.

Together, these changes have created a 20-mile sacrificial noise corridor over portions of Prince George’s County wherein the underlying communities are forced to absorb all the environmental, noise, and economic costs.

Some Prince George’s County residents under this noise corridor now experience over 400 flights per day, often at a rate of 1 commercial jet airplane flying overhead every 1-3 minutes.

Noise levels are so high and repetitive that they interfere with sleep and concentration, disrupt numerous outdoor activities, and likely will cause property values and tax revenues to decline, resulting in less revenue for public schools and county-funded infrastructure. Residents must take action to bring peace, quiet, and value back to their communities! 

Airport pollution linked to acute health effects among people with asthma in Los Angeles

by Wendy Gutschow - This study was funded by the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center 

A recent research study by Dr. Rima Habre took a detailed look at the short-term health impacts caused by breathing in ultrafine particulate (UFP) matter that is emitted from aircraft activity at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Several years ago, USC researchers identified a clear pattern of UFP emissions from takeoff and landing aircraft activities at LAX. Levels of the dangerous UFPs were found to be 4 to 5 times greater than background levels in downwind communities.  “Ultrafine particulate matter is known to contribute to reduced lung function, and airway inflammation in individuals with asthma.”

https://envhealthcenters.usc.edu/2019/02/ultrafine-particle-pollution-lax.html

Planes’ exhaust could be harming communities up to 10 miles from LAX

Los Angeles Times By DAN WEIKEL, TONY BARBOZA MAY 29, 2014

“High levels of potentially harmful exhaust particles from jets using Los Angeles International Airport have been detected in a broad swath of densely populated communities up to 10 miles east of the runways, a new air quality study reported Thursday. The research, believed to be the most comprehensive of its type, found that takeoffs and landings at LAX are a major source of ultrafine particles. They are being emitted over a larger area than previously thought, the study states, and in amounts about equal in magnitude to those from a large portion of the county’s freeways. It further concludes that areas affected by aircraft exhaust at major airports in the U.S. and other parts of the world might have been seriously underestimated.

https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0529-lax-pollution-20140529-story.html 

Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition steering committee Goals

The Southern Maryland, Fair Skies Coalition goals, are to seek equitable solutions to decrease aircraft noise in the regions south of DCA. 

The Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition steering committee met on January 4, 2019. The steering committee approved a revised mission statement. The mission of the Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition is to represent concerned citizens in the Maryland counties of Prince George’s and Charles committed to resolving the excessive levels of aircraft noise and air pollution imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration's flight paths and procedures at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).  

The Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition will be on the agenda at “next regular membership meeting of the Greater Accokeek Civic Association on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. at the Accokeek Volunteer Fire Hall, 16111 Livingston Road, Accokeek, MD. 20607.”

We are looking for volunteers.

1.      We need researchers and writers for our social media platforms 

2.      We need people with web development skills 

3.      We need people to help with recruitment 

4.      We need people to engage in political outreach 

5.      We need people to work to increase noise complains to DCA 

 If you wish to volunteer, please contact the coalition. 

Information: The Southern Maryland Fair Skies Coalition:  

 On Twitter        https://twitter.com/stop_NextGen    

Our website address:  https://www.somdfairskies.com/  

Our Email:  somdfairskies@gmail.com 

SOMD Fair Skies will meet MWAA on Dec 15th

We've been invited to attend a presentation at MWAA offices on Dec 15th, followed by attendance at the MWAA/FAA working group. Our goal is to get the recommendation of a "river route" for North Flow traffic to the FAA for consideration.

Coordinating Committee Meeting, Chair Elected

On Monday 9/26/16 the coordinating committee met in a closed meeting for the purposes of establishing goals and electing a chair.

In attendance were John Mitchell, Reuben Firmin, Paul Jett, Phil VanWiltenberg, and Kent L. Hibben. 

The meeting began with a recounting of facts as known, since not all were in attendance at the prior meeting. We then moved on to discuss ideas about ways the group could focus effort, and proceeded to formalize the following goals:

1) Seek an equitable distribution of aircraft passing over the region. This encompasses a range of activity, including research & collection of data, engagement with political representatives, and community outreach.

2) Learn from other communities and their experiences to guide our approach. The introduction of NextGen has been protested by communities near seemingly most airports that have implemented it. Palo Alto, Phoenix, Baltimore, Brooklyn, San Diego, Boston, Chicago and others each have active community led groups, sometimes involving city governance and/or including litigation among their methods, who are protesting to the FAA about the rollout.

3) Formalize our coalition. This was our first meeting as a committee; we seek to partner with other regional groups who are also focusing on Reagan aircraft noise.

Finally, we elected Kent L. Hibben as chair of the committee.  An open followup meeting will take place within the next several weeks.

Initial Meeting Held

A meeting involving representatives from GACA (Greater Accokeek Association), the Moyaone Association, MWAA (Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority), and concerned neighbors took place at the Wagner Center on 09/14/2016. The outcome of the meeting was to nominate a steering committee who will coordinate action. More detailed minutes will be published soon.