Elected officials
representing Port Washington at the federal level are calling on the
Port Authority to set up an advisory committee to address airplane noise
concerns in the five boroughs.
U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer, D-NY, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, as well
as U.S. Reps. Grace Meng, D-Flushing, and Steve Israel, D-Huntington,
have sent a joint letter to Port Authority Executive Director Patrick
Foye, asking for the agency to set up a committee that would handle
ongoing and future concerns about airplane noise for city residents.
Currently,
there is no forum through which residents can complain about flight
patterns, construction, frequency of arrivals and departures and new
runway configurations.
“It is simple common sense to say that the largest metropolitan area
in the country should have an airport advisory committee like the one we
are proposing, a body that would help increase the quality of life for
locals,” Schumer said. “With the creation of this committee, those
affected by airplane noise can provide a more united front to their
elected officials, the aviation community and the Federal Aviation
Administration.”
Airport advisory committees currently exist in
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and
Louisville.
Days before the 2013 legislative session closed earlier this year, the New York State legislature passed a bill that
requires the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey (PA) to conduct a
noise and land use compatibility study to better address the rise in
aircraft noise over Long Island.
Len Schaier of Port Washington, president of quietskies.net, said
passage of the Part 150 bill is a signifcant victory for residents of
the NY-NJ metro area. "Next milestones are the governor and the NJ
legislature!" he said, recognizing local representatives for their
efforts.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Jack Martins, who
lives in the neighboring village of Mineola, is aimed at insuring that
aircraft noise is given proper consideration by airport operators when
they determine which runways and approach paths to use.
Source: http://portwashington.patch.com