Martins AWOL on aircraft noise, danger

The Island Now

An open letter to state Sen. Martins,

Where have you been?  We see your re-election posters up everywhere but where have you been?

On a weekly basis we read about your many legislative contributions to community concerns, both large and small, meticulously reported back to us and we take pride in knowing that a Mineola boy is trying to make a positive difference in the lives of his constituents.

We sincerely thank you for your past accomplishments which include everything from state budget passage and tax reforms to to cyber bullying laws and the homage long due our brave first responders.

Therefore, it came as a great surprise and tremendous disappointment that your Safety Sunday Fair this past June took issue only with car safety seats and belts and medicine bottles, completely overlooking the biggest danger of them all – the perpetually increasing danger from low-flying airplanes in the skies over our community.

There are disastrous health reports about the affects of noise pollution on densely populated areas like Nassau County.  Aircraft noise has been identified as a health risk and an impediment to a child’s learning.  At any

given day or hour, we, living under 22L’s thunderous pathway, are subjected to 20 or more continuous hours of low-flying planes spaced 2-3 minutes apart. Our monitored reports show that Runway 22L at JFK is  used even when the prevailing winds indicate that this runway should NOT be used, causing impending danger to those flying in the skies and to those living under them.  In addition, engine parts and pieces of suspected toilet sludge being dropped with increased frequency have only added to dangerous jet fuel exhaust, noise pollution and unimaginable danger!  Thiis registers high on our enraged index.

It appears that the JFK’s tower’s definition of “operational efficiency” is to cram as many planes per hour into JFK ahead of safety and this should be as unacceptable to our elected officials as it is to us.

Fortunately, some of our elected representatives are far from silent and have voiced their objections.  At a meeting of the Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC) meeting in August, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) said that a study needed to be conducted to address increasing aircraft noise on Long Island.  She  is currently trying to arrange a meeting between Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the TVASNAC group.   

“There has to be a way of working it out so that our citizens can have relief,” she said.  

In addition, her letters to acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Port Authority Patrick Foye requested that both parties address their respective responsibilities in mitigating aircraft noise, “as a starting point for residents and elected officials alike to work with both entities in a manner that reduces noise pollution over the skies of Nassau County.”

State Assemblymen Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook) and Edward Ra (R-Franklin Square) have also echoed an impassioned plea for a noise study in the area.

TVASNAC, a 40-year old coalition of 13 communities has called for equitable distribution of flights into the airport’s eight runway approaches , a ban on low-lying airplanes and a reduction of late night flights, as a way to reduce airplane noise. Port Authority records indicate that the communities under JFK Runway 22L are being subjected to about 35 percent of all arrivals.

How fortunate are Queens residents to be represented by State Senator Tony Avella (D-Bayside).  At a September meeting in Queens, angered and dissatisfied with responses from the FAA who had defended an unannounced

flight pattern shake-up involving low flying planes,  held a rally outside his office to draw attention to the airplane noise.

Our question for you is this: Knowing that the problem of low-flying planes was becoming a major problem for  your constituents, most of whom live under 22L’s pathway, as a committee member of the NYS Senate Corporations.

Authorities and Commissions Standing Committee, you promised to hold a public meeting with the Port Authority that would have forced top Port Authority executives to answer questions under oath as to their mandated 

responsibility of noise abatement procedures for communities under JFK flight paths.  

This was extremely important but the meeting was abruptly cancelled without further discussion. Why?

Therefore, we ask for more than weekly updates from Albany.  We need a State senator who speaks to this horrific problem.  While  we thank you for your Comments to the Federal Register in support of environmental testing for the

Nextgen program and your willingness to meet with your constituents at neighborhood libraries, there is much more that we can do.

Please join with Rep. Carolyn  McCarthy, Rep. Peter King, Senator Tony Avella, Assemblyman Brian Curran, Assemblyman Edward  Ra and Assemblywoman Michele  Shimmel and others to raise awareness in Albany that we need help in the following areas:

Convincing the the Port Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration to  accelerate  installation of noise monitors already required by FAA Reauthorization  Bill # HR 658, Section 218 and Ggving support that encourages the Port Authority to establish noise thresholds below the current 65 DNL.  

European legislators have set a noise mitigation threshold for their airports that is 10 times lower than NewYork.  Please work with us to get noise limits established for JFK and LGA.

As they say in Portuguese, nos precisamos de sua ajuda desperadamente. We desperately need your help.

Please tell us where you are.

Thank you.

 

Fran Gould

East Williston

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