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Fight to Include Noise Abatement in FAA Airspace Redesign |
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For Immediate Release: June 8, 2006
Contact: Kimberly Allen, (202) 226-8364; (202) 420-1524 [cell]
Rothman Continues Fight to Include Noise Abatement in FAA Airspace Redesign
This week, Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ) introduced an amendment to a federal spending bill that would have prevented the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from moving forward with its airspace redesign for the NY/NJ/PA area unless they included aircraft noise reduction in their plans. Rep. Rothman's statement follows:
"The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) current airspace redesign proposal for the NY/NJ/PA airspace will significantly increase the noise suffered by residents who live near our airports. After reading the FAA's proposal, I do not believe that it includes any meaningful provisions to reduce the impact of noise on people living below flight paths.
"Last year, I worked with the FAA on compromise report language in this very same bill that required the FAA to consider aircraft noise when redesigning the airspace. They have ignored that compromise and instead moved forward with their plan to further crowd the skies without consideration of the impact tripling aircraft and increasing noise will have on residents.
"As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee that determines federal spending, I offered an amendment that would have prevented the FAA from spending any federal dollars to implement its airspace redesign until it included aircraft noise reduction in its redesign of NY/NJ/PA.
"I am aware that our traffic patterns should be redesigned to reduce flight delays and allow more flights in and out of some of the busier airports. However, the FAA should redesign the airspace in a way that has the least negative affect on the quality of life for residents who live near airports. I don't believe FAA officials have tried hard enough to do that.
"Although my amendment was rejected, my unanswered concerns and those of my constituents reveal an administration that is moving in a dangerous direction when it comes to national aviation policy. Today, it may be New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania residents who are hurt by the FAA's indifference to our concerns. Tomorrow, it could be anyone living near any metropolitan area, anywhere in the United States."
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