Aviation Conspiracy: Dedicated Airport Noise Fighter Dies!!!
Bill Mulcahy
#502...........................................................................................Oct
17, 2008 Past newsletters can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm If you want to get the
newsletter sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy
rock...@prodigy.net
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Quote of the Week: "We cannot tell airlines where to operate, that's a
business decision." comment from (of course) an FAA spokesman on
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Airport Noise Fighter Giant Dies!!!
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As Bill Sees It (Editorial): I Will Miss Dr. Allan Greene: I heard this
week that an old comrade in the fight to make aviation responsible for
health hazards they inflict on millions of Americans had died. I first met
Al Greene (he the one holding the sign) in the early 1990's. He lived in
the Howard Beach section of Queens. I think it was at a public hearing where
they deciding some change in routing of JFK Airport planes that was mandated
by law. The FAA uses these kind of hearings to get communities to fight with
one another over noise issues. However, Al and I saw that all communities
were victims of this government conspiracy with the airport and airlines.
Instead of playing the FAA's and airport's game and fighting for our
individual communities, we decided that working together would be a better
way to fight the increasing airport noise pollution problem. After doing for
a while we thought that we could become an even more powerful opposition if
we connected with people fighting LaGuardia Airport noise. We got contacted
people fighting LaGuardia Airport's ever expanding noise impacts and formed
a group called Sane Aviation For Everyone (SAFE). The creation of SAFE and
eventually the enforcement of noise laws hopefully will be a lasting legacy
of this great fighter for the health of Americans. Only 84 More Days Of The
Bush Disaster Left!!! Can we (and the world) make it? I saw on the TV today
we launched an attack into Syria. Could President Moronic Polluter be
planning to drag us into another war to top off the eighth years of what has
got to be one of the most disastrous presidencies in America's history?
Could a President Obama, or even (insane) McCain be worse? Montreal To Study
Effects Of Airport Noise On Public Health: While in the United States the
aviation industry-bribed democrat and republican parties continue to expand
airports without regard for health impacts on Americans, other countries are
listening to the cries of their citizens. We have to keep up our own noise
levels until "our" uncaring, corrupt politicians can't stand it anymore.
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Study To Examine Effects Of Airport Noise: MONTREAL - Airport noise will be
the focus of a new Montreal study now getting underway. An official with
Montreal's public health department confirmed the department's researchers
are looking at the impact of noise levels on the public health of residents
living in and around Trudeau Airport and under flights paths. Since
September 2006, night flights out of the Dorval airport have been the target
of citizen complaints and protests. Results of the study, however, won't be
available for six months, said Marie Pinard, a health board official.
Residents in several parts of the city, including St. Laurent, Cartierville,
Laval, Town of Mont Royal and Dorval say jet noise is disrupting their sleep
and damaging their health. Last February, night flights were tied to
hypertension and other health problems by British researchers who followed
residents living near Heathrow and three other major airports in Europe.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=f9c32cdf-a6e2-492e-911d-4b516270da83
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Important Aviation
News Stories This Week
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/index.cfm?newsid=20176259&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=8
Increasing Utilization: Capacity Enhancement Program At
Airport In Public Comment Phase By Bradley Vasoli, The Bulletin
10/24/2008 Area residents with views on the Capacity Enhancement Project at
Philadelphia International Airport can make them known to the agency until
midnight Nov. 10.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has put forth two
runway-design plans for the project, held its last public meeting on the
matter Thursday at Eastwick at the Meadows on Lindbergh Avenue. The plans
are meant to reduce flight delays at the airport, which is the ninth busiest
and sixth most-delayed in the United States.
According to the FAA, either proposal would result in a government purchase
of 72 residential properties and 80 business properties. They would entail
building a 9,100-foot runway as well as between 25 and 35 new gates. What
the FAA calls "Alternative A" would cost roughly $5.2 billion and
"Alternative B," which would add more gates and terminal space, would cost
about $5.4 billion. Construction for either plan is expected to take about
12 years.
Once the federal agency receives its comments via letter or e-mail, it will
respond in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) it expects to publicize
in the fall of 2009. The statement will cover matters such as impact on air
quality and noise levels. A month thereafter it will issue a record of
decision that will indicate whether the airport can proceed with A, B or
neither.
If the city is to begin engineering and construction of the new runways that
winter, it will need to have obtained several permits. FAA regional
spokesman Jim Peters said municipal officials have already begun that
process.
"Everybody is working on getting all of their ducks in a row, so to speak,"
he said.
U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7th, of Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties,
criticized the way the federal government has proceeded with the project,
calling it "disingenuous at best." He said the capacity enhancement effort
should not have been decoupled from the controversial airspace redesign that
is rerouting a large volume of flights over his district, heightening area
noise levels. If the two projects were linked, he said, the FAA would have
had to undertake more extensive environmental studies.
Mr. Sestak said he believes increased utilization of airports at Harrisburg,
the Lehigh Valley, Atlantic City and elsewhere could preclude the need for
the proposed project in Philadelphia.
"We believe that there are other alternatives," he said. "All we want is a
decent cost-benefit analysis done on alternatives."
Mr. Peters said the FAA doesn't possess the authority to effect such a
change.
"We cannot tell airlines where to operate," he said. "That's a business
decision."
The congressman said litigation against is in the works to stop the Capacity
Enhancement Project on the grounds and that the city agreed to put in place
noise-mitigation measures for projects that increase area decibel levels. No
such measures have gone into effect. He furthermore said he would fight in
Congress to cut off federal funds for the new runways.
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bva...@thebulletin.us
minerva
FYI: Years ago, our main airport activist died as well. The heart gave
out after years of having to fight constantly in this effort. The main
reasons he was able to get the FAA to divert aircraft from passing
directly over residential areas in DC and vicinity was because of people
like him who never gave up. He kept the focus of his activities on the
issue and formed his own organization of neighbors. When I would become
diverted by the anti-activist sentiment among other snob citizen groups
who were more concerned about appearances then about the subject matter,
he would say to stay focused on what the problems were and not to focus
on whether or not we were allowed to speak at meetings, or get a group
to send the letters we wanted to send, what personalities got involved,
and how ill mannered some were to me. He kept his eye on the prize. He
did not spin wheels and knew who to talk to in Congress.
The local governments in the DC area were on board. There were initial
groups who did a lot of the hard work and then years later formed one of
those humongous snob organizations, which resulted in more talk, and
bureaucratic mumbo jumbo that happens to organizations when the affluent
uppities get involved. Then, the issue gets more involved with
personalities and egos, and whomever has the highest degrees and legal
acumen. However, because we have influential government officials
living in affected locations, the anti-noise and anti-pollution people
found sympathetic ears.
Another reason was that the government wanted the aircraft to stay away
from flying over the monuments, white house and pentagon. Aircraft have
to take off and land along the potomac, and they have a curfew for
aircraft. This means there is a limit to the size plane that can fly in
and out of National airport. Occasionally, they get off course and when
the SSTs were operating, it sounded as though there was a giant lawn
mower running over your roof. On 9/11 when some very smart FAA
Transportation dept. person stopped all flights for safety sake, there
was such an eerie silence all over the entire area, I wondered what it
was, then realized it was that the planes were not in the air. What a
difference.
You need to find some major landmarks in your area that need protecting,
and some influential people who are affected by the noise, and to
involve minority organizations and leaders. In our heyday of picketing
and signs and raucous public hearings, before they made public
expressions illegal or subject to police action, we had both blacks and
whites together and involved in pro environmental actions against
various type projects, particularly highways, bridges, and then airport
enlargement. It is a good thing it happened in the 60s and 70s when
there was much public and civic involvement of the citizenry because in
the 1980s and since, you could not find activists, they think it is
beneath them.
Good luck.
minerva