|
Airports
Urge Additional Measures to Enhance Community Noise
Mitigation
ACI-NA Testifies Before
House Transportation Subcommittee
WASHINGTON. On
behalf of U.S. airports, Airports Council
International &endash; North America (ACI-NA)
Executive Vice President, Policy and External
Affairs, Deborah C. McElroy testified during the
October 24 House Transportation Subcommittee on
Aviation hearing "Aviation and the Environment:
Noise."
McElroy urged
Congress to consider that development of new flight
procedures and the attendant environmental study be
eligible for funding under the Federal Aviation
Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program
(AIP), even when the procedures are not detailed in
an airport's Part 150 noise mitigation plan.
ACI-NA also supported more stringent International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) noise standards
for newly certificated aircraft and better use of
noise programs tailored to the unique airport noise
mitigation problems to more effectively address
community concerns.
"Airport directors
have taken proactive steps to better understand and
mitigate environmental impacts, especially aviation
noise in their local communities. Airports are also
working with local citizens, organizations,
governments and elected officials to develop
procedures and programs to reduce noise," McElroy
testified.
Many airports are
mitigating noise through FAA's Airport Noise
Compatibility Program which promotes comprehensive
airport noise planning and mitigation. This
voluntary program provides airports with funds to
help local communities soundproof residences,
schools and hospitals, and conduct land use and
zoning studies, design noise abatement procedures
and other strategies.
McElroy also
thanked the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee for including numerous provisions in the
recently passed H.R. 2881, the "Federal Aviation
Administration Reauthorization Act of 2007," that
will further assist airports in addressing the
impact of aviation noise, including the phase out
of Stage 2 aircraft less than 75,000 pounds, the
"Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program", the
"CLEEN Engine and Airframe Technology Partnership",
and funding for the Airport Cooperative Research
Program, which provides research to further
mitigate the impacts of noise to airport
communities.
View a copy of the
testimony:
http://www.aci-na.org/docs/oct%2024%20testimony_20071024134951.pdf.
About ACI-NA:
The mission of
Airports Council International - North America
(ACI-NA) is to advocate policies and provide
services that strengthen the ability of air carrier
airports to serve their passengers, customers and
communities. ACI-NA represents local,
regional and state governing bodies that own and
operate commercial airports in the United States
and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane
more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually
all the international airline passenger and cargo
traffic in North America. Nearly 400
aviation-related businesses are also members of the
association, which is the largest of the five
worldwide regions of Airports Council
International.
|
