Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus

June 29, 2022  Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Quiet Skies Caucus, led by Co-Chairs Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Vice Chairs Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), today announced they secured four provisions to combat aircraft noise in the House's fiscal year 2023 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The provisions direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to engage with communities affected by aircraft noise, to prioritize the reduction of aircraft noise, to create a central repository for constituent complaints about aircraft noise, and to encourage the FAA to complete its ongoing evaluation of alternative metrics to current Day Night Level noise standards. The bill also provides support for all studies and programs directed at minimizing aircraft noise in affected communities.

The co-chairs and vice chairs released the statement below.

"As the leadership of the Quiet Skies Caucus, we hear from constituents daily about the negative impact of aircraft noise on their lives and health. The inclusion of these provisions is a victory for our constituents who live in areas heavily affected by aircraft noise."

April 26, 2022  Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Quiet Skies Caucus (QSC) Co-Chairs Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Vice Chairs Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) led QSC members in sending a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg requesting the addition of five community representatives to the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC), which advises the Federal Aviation Administration, as part of NAC's June 2022 charter renewal.

"None of the members represent communities that live under NextGen corridors and that are directly impacted by the recommendations of the NAC," the letter said. "To better fulfill NAC's mission, we recommend adding five more seats to the committee, to be filled by representatives who can speak on behalf of affected communities."

May 14, 2021 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released the response she and other Quiet Skies Caucus (QSC) members received from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to their letter regarding the FAA's Neighborhood Environmental Survey, a nationwide survey about aircraft noise annoyance. Norton declared it a win for District of Columbia residents and the QSC. Norton and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) are co-chairs of the QSC, and Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) are vice chairs.

March 11, 2021 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Quiet Skies Caucus (QSC) sent a letter, led by QSC Co-Chairs Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) and QSC Vice Chairs Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson expressing their concerns over the FAA's nationwide survey about aircraft noise annoyance. The letter points out that the noise metrics are outdated and do not accurately reflect the level of disruption caused by aircraft noise.

April 5, 2021 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – “The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 was signed into law over two years ago, yet the FAA has still not published any formal guidance for the program,” Smith said in the letter. “The bill contained numerous provisions requiring research to examine the impact of aviation noise and emissions, including a new environmental mitigation pilot program. According to the law, the program will fund projects that will ‘measurably reduce or mitigate aviation impacts on noise, air quality, or water quality.’

The full letter can be found here. 

September 24, 2020  Press release 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) today released a letter they and 27 other Members of the House sent to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Stephen Dickson expressing concern about a recent FAA report regarding airplane noise metrics. Norton is a senior member of the Aviation Subcommittee and co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus. Bass is also a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus. The full letter can be found here.

December  20, 2019  LETTER Congress of the United States to Stephen M. Dickson Adminitrator FAA 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— 

"We are concerned that the NextGen program has failed to meet the bare minimum standards for success"

The full letter can be found here.

November 7, 2019 Press release 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), co-chairs of the Quiet Skies Caucus, released a letter today to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Caucus requested a response within 30 days to more than 45 specific questions regarding the FAA’s efforts to reduce noise pollution. The full letter can be found here.

Oct 18, 2019 During the hour-long discussion, the Caucus emphasized four priorities:  

• dispersing flight patterns to alleviate airplane noise levels,
• completing and releasing studies on the impacts of airplane noise on residents, 
• creating an accessible central repository of resident  complaints, and 
• conducting increased community outreach.

August 13, 2019 The letter was signed by Quiet Skies Caucus Co-Chairs Eleanor Holmes  Norton (D-DC), and Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Vice Co-Chair Mike Quigley  (D-IL).

"We are concerned about a number of actions that FAA has taken, or not  taken, in recent months. In 2015, FAA began a study to reevaluate the  current 65 DNL threshold for determining eligibility for residents  impacted by airport noise to qualify for noise abatement assistance-  this study predates and is different from a study authorized in the 2018  law that reauthorized the FAA. FAA had reported in May of

2018 that the study was nearly final but to this date has still not  been released. In August of 2018, the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the  Quiet Skies Caucus wrote to Acting Administrator Elwell requesting an  update on the status of the study, which was then already four months  delayed. The study is now nearly 15 months delayed and FAA has still not  given any indication about a reason for the delay or when it might be  released.

We respectfully but urgently request a detailed update on the status  of this study, including a date of expected release in the near future.  Twice in the last few months, Acting Administrator Elwell had been  scheduled to meet with the Quiet Skies Caucus and, through no fault of  his own, the meetings needed to be postponed. We understand the  challenge of congressional and agency scheduling but we believe it is  necessary for the FAA Administrator, accompanied by other agency  personnel with a detailed knowledge of the issues at hand, to sit with  our caucus and discuss these issues of serious concern to our  constituents. Please get in touch with the office of Co-Chair Norton or  Co-Chair Lynch to schedule a meeting with the caucus members in  September 2019."

July 26, 2019 LETTER Congress of the Unites States to Dan Elwell Acting Adminstrator FAA

MENG, SCHUMER, AND GILLIBRAND CALL ON FAA TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ON NEXTGEN
NextGen is the FAA-led modernization of the nation’s air transportation system which also results in increased aircraft noise that negatively impacts local communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) sent a joint letter to the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calling for the agency to increase transparency of public meetings held by the NextGen Advisory Committee. 
The Committee provides the FAA with advice and recommendations on ways to enhance and maximize the Next Generation Air Transportation System, commonly referred to as NextGen, which is the FAA-led modernization of the nation’s air transportation system that seeks to improve the safety, efficiency, capacity, predictability, and resiliency of U.S. aviation. However, part of NextGen’s implementation involves new flight routes that have caused communities such as Queens to experience increased levels of aircraft noise. 
In their correspondence to Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell, the lawmakers urged the agency to provide the public with improved notification of NextGen Advisory Committee meetings, more advanced notice of when these meetings are scheduled to take place, and to livestream each meeting. 
“Many of my constituents who continue to be impacted by excessive aircraft noise related to NextGen want to be heard about how this new technology impacts their lives,” said Congresswoman Meng. “The public deserves to be engaged on NextGen and this engagement must be a two-way street complete with dialogue and input from members of the community

July 15, 2015 LETTER Congress of the United States to House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairs 

September 12, 2014  LETTER Congress of the United States to Michael P. Huerta FAA Adminstrator