TagFAA Reauthorization(48)

The Aviation-Impacted Communities Alliance (AICA) published a detailed response to the House's June 9, 2023 draft FAA Reauthorization Act, opposing or requesting edits to numerous sections of the bill. Key concerns include the weakening of community noise and pollution protections, the exclusion of affected communities from stakeholder processes, and the prioritization of aviation industry interests over public safety and accountability. AICA argues that several provisions—covering aircraft data privacy, ADS-B enforcement, rotorcraft operations, and leaded fuel—fail to adequately protect communities living near airports like Sea-Tac from noise, pollution, and safety risks.

The 'Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act,' introduced in the 118th Congress, proposes to reauthorize and reform the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other civil aviation programs. The bill covers a wide range of topics including FAA organizational restructuring, general aviation safety and pilot protections, and aerospace workforce development. Of particular relevance to airport noise concerns, the legislation includes provisions for an aviation noise officer and required consultation with the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group.

This Port of Seattle document outlines key federal aviation noise and air quality legislation relevant to the StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) Federal Working Group, including provisions from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 and proposed 2019 legislation. It highlights priority items such as evaluating alternatives to the DNL 65 noise standard, studying health impacts of aircraft noise in major metro areas including Seattle, and creating environmental mitigation grant programs for airports. Additional considerations include secondary noise insulation, increased funding for federal noise programs, and greater flexibility for local communities to address aviation impacts.

This April 2023 memo from the Port of Seattle outlines the agenda and goals for the first-ever StART DC Fly-in, a trip in which Port and local city officials traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for federal policies addressing aircraft noise and emissions near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The delegation met with members of Congress, including Senator Maria Cantwell and several House Representatives, to push for legislation such as the Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act and the Aviation Noise and Emissions Mitigation Act. Key priorities included expanding eligibility for home sound insulation funding, involving the EPA in noise mitigation efforts, and establishing a formal Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee with a clear timeline for policy action.

The Burien Airport Committee held a meeting on July 19, 2022, via Zoom to discuss issues related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including a review of a draft FAA reauthorization letter, updates on the SEA Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), and a Climate Action Plan update. The agenda also included approval of minutes from previous May and June 2022 meetings and federal legislative updates presented by Mayor Sofia Aragon. Members of the public could submit comments by email, text, or Zoom prior to and during the meeting.

This FAA presentation from February 18, 2021 explains Section 175 of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, which addresses community noise concerns related to aircraft departure procedures. The law requires the FAA to consider dispersal headings or varied flight paths for new or amended departure procedures that direct aircraft between the surface and 6,000 feet over noise-sensitive areas, but only when the airport operator — not the community directly — formally requests it. Any approved changes must not significantly increase noise over noise-sensitive areas or interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the national airspace system.

NLC Resolution #48 calls on Congress and the FAA to reduce the noise, health, and economic burdens placed on residential communities resulting from the FAA's NextGen air traffic control system, which has concentrated flight paths at low altitudes over neighborhoods. The resolution highlights concerns such as stress-related illness, hearing loss, reduced property values, and inadequate environmental review, and urges the FAA to adopt better noise measurement standards and consider community noise impacts in supersonic jet rulemaking. It also supports increased NASA funding for research into quieter aircraft engines and airframes.

This April 2020 FAA Report to Congress evaluates alternative noise metrics to the current Day-Night Level (DNL) 65 decibel standard used to measure community aircraft noise exposure, as required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The report reviews the history and definitions of various noise measurement tools, explains why no single metric can address all aviation noise situations, and examines the roles of both noise modeling and actual noise sampling. It was produced in response to congressional direction to assess whether better methods exist for capturing and addressing community concerns about airplane noise.

In March 2020, Port of Seattle officials and representatives from surrounding cities including Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac, Federal Way, and Des Moines traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the FAA and members of Congress about aircraft noise and emissions issues affecting the Puget Sound region. The group advocated for implementation of key provisions from the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, including a review of the 65 DNL noise standard, a study on the health impacts of overflight noise, and a new environmental mitigation pilot program. The meetings emphasized that local authorities have limited power to address flight paths, aircraft types, or noise insulation funding, and that federal action is needed to provide new tools and resources for affected communities.