Congressman Lee Zeldin Calls on FAA to Stand By Its Assurances to the Town of East Hampton

Statement

Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-1), Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, released a statement calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stand by specific assurances it had previously made. Earlier this week, East Hampton Town agreed to delay, for 3 weeks, implementation of recently imposed helicopter noise restrictions pending a court review. The FAA indicated in court that they might go back on that agreement.

The Congressman sent a letter to the FAA on Monday, March 2, 2015, suggesting some possible solutions to help reduce helicopter noise on the East End of Long Island. In the letter, Congressman Zeldin references the 2012 assurances from the FAA to his predecessor, where the FAA states that they will not take negative action against the town if the town imposed reasonable restrictions.

"I am extremely disappointed by the seeming reversal of the FAA's long standing position that they would not oppose the Town of East Hampton's effort to protect quality of life and reduce noise," stated Congressman Zeldin. "Though they have not officially taken a position on the merits of East Hampton's proposals, the FAA's support for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) speaks volumes as the residents of the East End once again brace for another travel season. The FAA must stand by its assurances previously made in writing that the Town of East Hampton would not face negative action from the FAA if they chose to enact reasonable restrictions, as long as the town agreed to not take any new FAA funding. The people of East Hampton, through their democratically elected Town Board, have chosen this path because they believed the FAA would stand by its word. I intend to pursue what is necessary to hold the FAA to its assurances and to work with all interested parties on an effective solution that reduces helicopter noise on the East End this high season and in the long term. Reaching a real solution is more important than politics or bureaucracy."

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