Making a racket over aircraft noise

Residents of the Five Towns and other communities close to John F. Kennedy International Airport will have the chance to air their complaints about aircraft noise at a public workshop at the Radisson JFK Hotel in Jamaica on June 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The primary topic at the meeting will be the noise study that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been working on since the fall of 2013 in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration.
The study monitors noise levels of aircraft arriving at and departing from JFK. It is intended to determine how that noise affects nearby residents’ quality of life over a period of three years. The research also includes LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, and is known in FAA parlance as a Part 150 study.
Port Authority spokesman Ron Marsico said the goal for next week’s workshop is to inform the public about the study. It will feature displays with information about the study’s schedule and the methods used to measure and track aircraft noise.
“The workshop will provide an overview of the Part 150 noise study and serve as an opportunity for the public to ask questions and gain information about the process,” Marsico said. “The Port Authority is hosting the workshop, but noise study consultants and FAA representatives will be there.”

“There will be one large general session at the beginning of the program, then people will split up to explore the stations,” explained Kendall Lampkin, executive director of the Town of Hempstead’s Town and Village Aircraft Safety and Noise Abatement Committee. “They will try to have five or six different stations, unveiling study plans as they occur. It will be structured like a museum exhibit.”
TVASNAC, which encompasses 12 Nassau County villages, is working to require the Port Authority and the FAA to implement procedures that reduce aircraft noise during takeoffs and landings at JFK and LaGuardia. It has challenged both agencies to improve the quality of life for residents and homeowners.
Myrna Zisman, a Cedarhurst village trustee, has served as a TVASNAC representative for eight years. “I want somebody to take control, and make the changes that need to be made,” she said. “The powers that be need to do something. We, as the citizens, are getting the brunt of the effects of the noise. The longer it takes to complete this study, we all suffer. It’s very important that people of the Five Towns come out in droves to learn about this study and make themselves heard. The more noise we make, the [less] plane noise will affect our daily lives.”
With summer approaching, Lampkin said, more aircraft will be flying over the Five Towns and Nassau County. He added that he supported the Port Authority’s efforts to keep the public informed during a busy time of the year. “Aircraft noise is cyclical,” he said. “The air pressure is lower, which makes the planes noisier. With the summer being such a busy season, I especially applaud the Port Authority for having so many meetings during this time.”
Larry Hoppenhauer, a TVASNAC representative from Malverne, said that the public workshop was planned as one of a series expected to take place as the study continues. “I believe the public informational workshops are part of the 150 study guidelines,” he said. “I’m assuming that the Port Authority needs to hold these public informational workshops to let the public know what their progress to date is on the 150 study, and solicit input from the public.”
To access WebTrak, the website that records aircraft noise levels, go to www.panynj.gov/airports/aircraft-noise-information.html. To report aircraft noise in your neighborhood, go to www.planenoise.com/panynj/daPRAbr9/. Residents can also file noise complaints through the Port Authority’s aircraft noise hotline, at (800) 225-1071.