By Bob Harris
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning a redesigning of the nation’s air routes to move more flights over water rather than over residential communities.
It’s a concept the Queens Civic Congress has been pushing for years.
The FAA's plan starts with the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia area although aircraft noise is a serious problem throughout the United States.
Over the years, Queens members of Congress have helped pressured the airlines to user quieter engines in the jetliners.
The evolution of jet engines began with what the FAA terms Stage I, followed by Stage II. Now only Stage III engines are allowed on jets that fly over residential neighborhoods.
Early next year, the FAA is scheduled to release an environmental impact study on 17 regional airports throughout the nation. The agency has not announced when the route changes take effect.
U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman's, D-N.J. last May urged the FAA to consider reduction of airplane noise as part of its redesign plan. U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley, (D-Jackson Heights) and U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) has long fought for reduction of aircraft noise over Queens.
They have worked with Rothman as well as U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) and U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Queens anti-noise activists have long fought a rising number of flights from LaGuardia and Kennedy, particularly in the late summer of 2001 when LaGuardia was the nation's most congested airport.
The attack on the World Trade Center along with the nation's economic recession brought a drastic reduction in air traffic with planes from many airlines removed from service and now parked on the Arizona desert.
Congressman Crowley, who has long has proposed an 11 p.m. curfew for LaGuardia airport, has called on Congress to authorize a federal Airport Noise Curfew Commission.
In 1999 Weiner and Crowley were co-authors of a bill which provided $10 million for NASA to begin Stage IV engine testing. The Stage IV aircraft engines, are considered ultra-quiet, whatever that means.
But, even with new Stage IV aircraft engines, too many planes flying over an area for too long will bring discomfort to that community.
While individual homeowners and their civic associations do protest the Queens Civic Congress has the loudest voice. Seymour Schwartz, President of the Briarwood Civic Association, is the chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Queens Civic Congress. He is in favor of a curfew for all arriving and departing aircraft. One problem is that the cargo planes flown by unscheduled operators, such as FedEx and UPS, come and go when their feel they need to. I have not read anything about these cargo operators having quieter Stage III aircraft. I wonder how quiet their engines are?
Schwartz wants the FAA to evenly distribute the flight paths so some communities do not take the brunt of the noise. The FAA says it wants to redesign the airspace for greater efficiency.
Then there is the pollution caused by the burning of gasoline by the plane's engines and the dumping of excess fuel prior to a landing. The long battle to improve the quality of life for the residents of Queens continues.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK
Twenty-five years ago, homeowners in the Love Canal area south of Niagara Falls discovered liquid bubbling up from the ground on their properties. It turned out the liquid was toxic waste dumped in the Love Canal, a 43-foot wide open ditch, by the Hooker Chemical Co. Hooker dumped 21,000 tons of chemical waste between 1942 and 1953.
The area was designated the nation’s first toxic waste disaster site by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 after neighbors rallied and asked for government help. Lois Gibbs was the leader. She now heads the Washington-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice. A federal and state revitalization corporation was created and some houses were torn down, others rehabilitated and the toxic material was removed.
Today new and renovated houses have been sold to new owners. The area is monitored by government agencies. A park has been built. Flowers and grass grow in the area. However, Giggs still doesn’t think people should live there.
I wonder how many Love Canal sites are in parts of Queens where factories stood years ago. We just have to be alert and watch for tell-tale signs!
