Wheels not up on JFK airport noise study

Wheels not up on JFK airport noise study

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hosted two public information workshops in Queens and Nassau County this month in an effort to update residents on the status of the ongoing noise study at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), known as Part 150.

We will seek noise mitigation with the FAA where feasible.”

Thomas Bosco Port Authority aviation director

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hosted two public information workshops in Queens and Nassau County this month in an effort to update residents on the status of the ongoing noise study at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), known as Part 150.

“As Phase I of the Part 150 Study is winding down the process will continue in Phase II which is the discussion of noise abatement options,” Kevin Denning, executive director of the Town-Village Aircraft Safety and Noise Abatement Committee, said in an email, “I look forward to this area of the study as hopefully it will provide solutions to remedy aircraft noise in the future.”

The next steps of the study include the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approval of what are called noise exposure maps that identify present and future noise patterns and airport layout based on documents handed out at the Nov. 3 workshop that took place at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. Next, the Port Authority, along with the Technical Advisory Committee will develop the Noise Compatibility Program that will include noise abatement, land use and programmatic strategies.

“Ultimately, what this results in is the set of noise contours that the FAA accepts and then a Noise Compatibility Program that defines the steps we want to take to try to make things better,” said Steve Alverson, the senior vice president of Environmental Science Associates, a company working with the FAA and Port Authority. Its specialties include planning, designing, analyzing and creating methods to minimize environmental impacts. The FAA controls the routes where aircraft flies and the Port Authority is the property manager of the airport.

“The Port Authority understands it must strive to be a good neighbor in the communities where its airports are located,” said Thomas Bosco, the Port Authority aviation director, said in a prepared statement. “We will seek noise mitigation with the FAA where feasible.”

The Port Authority estimates that the finalized Noise Compatibility Program will be submitted to the FAA for approval in mid-2018. The length of the noise study depends on airport conditions, local airspace, data availability, public outreach and agency review periods. The JFK study is estimated to take approximately three to four years to complete.

A licensed engineer and West Hempstead resident, Sid Krimsky, said: “The only influence that people have is through Congress.” Elected officials in the House of Representatives and the Senate approve the FAA’s budget, he said. When constituents pressure Congress, the officials most likely will pressure the FAA to do things such as mitigating airplane noise.

The Draft JFK Noise Exposure Map Report was released by the Port Authority on Oct. 26 to the public. It includes the results of the noise exposure analysis. According to the project schedule, the public can review and comment on the report through Nov. 28 online at http://panynjpart150.com/JFK_homepage.asp.
Comments can be emailed to NYPART150@panynj.gov or mailed to Port Authority of NY & NJ, Aviation Department, ATTN: Noise Office — NY Part 150 Study, 4 World Trade Center, 150 Greenwich St., 18th floor, New York, NY 13007.
To file an aircraft noise complaint, call (800) 225-1071.