TagSteve Dickson(2)

In December 2020, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson transmitted a report to Congress fulfilling a requirement under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which directed the agency to study whether reducing jet aircraft approach and takeoff speeds could meaningfully lower noise for communities surrounding airports. The study was required to assess whether any such speed reductions would compromise aviation safety or reduce the efficiency of the National Airspace System, including effects on airport capacity, travel times, and fuel consumption. The report was sent to key congressional leaders overseeing transportation and commerce policy.

Currently, FAA law has extremely complicated rules for establishing a noise boundary around airports. (A noise boundary is a geographic area inside which there is a certain acceptable noise level.) This is referred to as the DNL65. and it has several major flaws. The FAA Reauthorization Act Of 2018 attempted to address these flaws in several ways. This letter, from a caucus of Congressmen engaged on airport community issues complains to the Administrator that the spirit of the law is not being adhered to and demands that he make attempts to put his agency into compliance. The language is fairly technical, however there are a couple of basic points they raise: First, that the noise boundary be determined by actual noise measurements (currently the noise boundaries are 'modeled' and those calculations often do not reflect in any way the lived experience for residents.) Second, that the 'acceptable' noise level of sixty five decibels (hence DNL65) has been determined to be far too high to conform with current understandings of healthy living.