Rep. Israel Announces Airplane Noise Monitor for East Hills

Press Release

After working closely with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the Village of East Hills for nearly two years, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) joined Mayor Michael Koblenz to announce that an airplane noise monitor has been installed to measure the airplane noise from John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport impacting local residents in East Hills, NY and surrounding communities.

"We know that airplane noise is impacting local communities -- making it harder for our families living on the North Shore. We also know that the best way to truly understand the local impact airplane noise is having is through additional noise monitors in our communities," said Rep. Israel. "I am thrilled to see the installation of an airplane noise monitor in East Hills, an initiative I have pushed since 2013, and the next step towards improving the quality of life for residents in areas under these flight paths. I thank Mayor Koblenz for his partnership on this issue, and look forward to continuing to lead the fight on aircraft noise both locally and nationally."

"There is no question whatsoever that the noise monitors will bear out what we already know; that our village and others are being subjected to excessive noise from the planes that frequently fly low overhead. They wake us up at night; they erode our quality of life. The answer is through an equitable redistribution of flights. Toward these ends, we are very appreciative to Congressman Steve Israel for taking a decisive leadership role, and beginning what we hope is the first step toward a solution," said Michael R. Koblenz, Mayor of East Hills.

In recent years, local communities in Queens and Nassau County have expressed frustration over elevated noise levels in and around LaGuardia and JFK Airport. In particular, noise complaints in communities in northern Nassau County are due to the increased use of runways 22L and 22R at Kennedy Airport, which increased 11 percent in air traffic between 2012 and 2013.

The data collected from this noise monitor, measured in decibels, represents the sound level at that location in real-time and is visible to residents through the Port Authority's data sharing technology. While noise monitors are placed and maintained by the Port Authority, the FAA does not use data from these noise monitors when compiling noise reports. Instead, the FAA's reports are completed using computer modeling that doesn't take any of the ground noise monitoring data into account. Currently, the FAA has ruled that the acceptable Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) metric is 65 decibel DNL.

In 2013, Rep. Israel sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the Administrator of the FAA urging them to work together to install additional aircraft noise monitors in Queens and sections of Nassau County, including Old Brookville and East Hills. Additionally, Rep. Israel has urged a decrease in the national standard for acceptable aircraft noise from 65 decibel DNL to 55and has called on the FAA to enforce Kennedy Airport's agreement to reduce the use of runways 22L and 22R at night unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, he has also urged the FAA to exempt LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy Airport flights from a new rule that would allow the FAA to make changes to flight procedures without conducting an environmental review to study the impact of the changes.

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