Congressman Joe Crowley (D–Queens, The Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus and a founding member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, announced that he is an original co-sponsor of the Airplane Impacts Mitigation (AIM) Act of 2016 (H.R. 5075). Introduced by Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D–Boston), and supported by members of the bipartisan Quiet Skies Caucus, the AIM Act will help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the health impacts of airplane noise on local communities.“I’ve always said our airports will never be perfect neighbors, but we can help make them better ones,” said Crowley, whose district includes LaGuardia Airport. “There is no question that the deafening noise pollution plaguing communities around airports has an adverse impact on our constituents’ health and well-being. And, the more we know about a problem, the better placed we’ll be to find solutions. This legislation will go a long way in giving us the information we need to help people whose lives are disrupted by the roar of airplanes. I’m proud to join Congressman Lynch and my colleagues in this effort.”
Specifically, the AIM Act would require the FAA to enter into an agreement with a school of public health to conduct a study of the health impacts of aircraft pollution on affected residents, including asthma exacerbation, sleep disturbance, stress, and elevated blood pressure.
The study will focus on residents living partly or wholly within the land area underneath the flight paths most frequently used by aircraft flying, including during takeoff or landing at an altitude lower than 10,000 feet. In addition, the study will consider only those health impacts that manifest during the physical implementation of the NextGen RNAV program, a GPS-based navigation system that guides hundreds of flights per day over a narrow flight path. While this system can increase efficiency, the communities beneath the flight paths can experience extended periods of exposure to noise and air pollution.
The AIM Act also mandates that the study focus on residents in New York, as well as in Boston, Chicago, the Northern California Metroplex region, Phoenix, and up to three additional cities.
A leader in the effort to curb aircraft noise pollution, Crowley is the author of The Silent Skies Act, legislation that aims to improve the quality of life for communities heavily impacted by aircraft noise pollution. In addition to leading legislation, Crowley has worked extensively with community leaders, federal officials, and representatives from New York City and State to abate the congestion and noise that schools, businesses, and homes are subjected to because of their close proximity to LaGuardia Airport. In April 2001, Crowley authored a plan to alleviate community concerns associated with the airport. In 2002, he secured $100,000 in federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out an air quality and noise study in the neighborhoods surrounding LaGuardia. He also secured $240,000 for LaGuardia Airport Noise Monitors to track airport noise at LaGuardia and ensure curfews were being met. Crowley has also been a longtime advocate of conducting a Part-150 noise study for LaGuardia Airport, which is finally under way.
In 2014, Crowley co-founded the Quiet Skies Caucus in Congress, which works to raise awareness on the issue of aircraft noise and find meaningful solutions to the problem. The caucus consists of members from across the country whose constituents are adversely affected by incidents of airplane and helicopter noise.
