Photo credit: Tae Fuller
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
This article by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Jordan Parker informs us that five congressional representatives from California have introduced bills that will require the Federal Aviation Administration to be more responsive to noise complaints from residents who live near California airports. These bills will also provide funds to soundproof homes near the San Francisco Airport.
It was good to hear from Rep. Kevin Mullin, who acknowledged that noise was more than an annoyance. “It interrupts sleep, damages hearing, and can increase the risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attacks,” he said. Furthermore, Rep. Tony Cardenas indicated that the bills will provide “common-sense” solutions to address noise problems. For years, residents exposed to aircraft noise have stressed the adverse health impacts of aviation noise as well as the continued existence of common-sense solutions.
The reality is that people across the country who live near airports are adversely impacted by aircraft noise. Shouldn’t similar bills be introduced to cover their plight as well?
