From QueensExaminer.com:
The Flushing community has had enough with the never-ending plane noise.
Leaders and residents throughout the community have joined together to call on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to revert back to pre-2012 flight paths that had planes take off over Flushing Meadows Park instead of through the heart of downtown Flushing.
On Monday, activists and elected officials released the readings of a Port Authority noise monitor on Franklin Avenue as evidence for the need to reduce airplane noise.
“Living in Flushing is nice,” said Councilman Peter Koo. “But the noise is killing us. People have to close their windows and stop their conversations when airplanes go by.”
According to FAA regulations, the Day/Night Noise Level (DNL) of overhead planes should not exceed the 65 DNL limit. Out of 92 days spanning from March to May, 32 of the days showed plane noise exceeding the limit.
In March the levels went as high as 71 DNL. The average DNL for 2015 was 68.5.
“With this data, we now see what we’ve always known,” said State Senator toby Stavisky. “Parts of Queens are subjected to higher levels of sound than others. Not only must we ensure the federally set noise threshold is not surpassed, but we must also revisit the maximum DNL allowed.”
In May, Stavisky and her colleagues drafted a letter calling for the reduction of the 65 DNL to 55, which is the number recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.
The reduction from 65 DNL to a healthy 55 DNL would allow the FAA to use funds for noise mitigation, which could be changes in arrival takeoff procedures, path changes, and noise insulation, said Len Schaier of Quiet Skies.
The 65 DNL was created in the 1970’s. However, since the threshold was created there have been numerous studies on not just the nuisance of the noise, but also the health effects.
The Harvard School of Public Health in a study found that DNL levels over 55 can increase the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, as well as other negative health impacts.
According to The Lancet, the British medical journal, airplane noise causes hypertension, cardiac effects, high blood pressure, and cognitive problems in children.
“In 2013, there were approximately 5,200 people in 1,912 homes near Laguardia Airport that were at or above 65 DNL,” said Shaier. “In 2021, it’s expected to be 8,143 residents in almost 3,000 homes at the same levels.
The FAA states that efficiency and safety are highest concerns,” he added. “They should include health and welfare of the people of the ground while evaluating benefits of making changes.”
Residents in the area are no stranger to the plane noise, growing accustomed to keeping their windows shut with their TV’s on full blast.
“My family has been here for 50 years, I grew up here and had a healthy and happy childhood,” said community activist Susan Carroll. “What about the children here today, and the senior citizens that are also especially vulnerable to these conditions? Day and night every day and every minute we are all being exposed to dangerous levels of both airplane noise and pollution.”
Prior to 2012, the planes flew over Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Only during the US Open would planes be rerouted over Flushing homes and businesses. The temporary issue soon became a permanent one when the FAA decided to make it a permanent takeoff procedure out of LaGuardia.
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