New FAA bill may mean revisiting of SoCal flight paths




QUIET SKIES— The FAA Reauthorization Act may reduce noise caused by the rerouting of airplanes over Dos Vientos last year.

QUIET SKIES— The FAA Reauthorization Act may reduce noise caused by the rerouting of airplanes over Dos Vientos last year.

When President Trump signed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act earlier this month, the move made headlines because it established a minimum seat size as well as new practices to prevent what happened last year to passenger David Dao, who was dragged screaming off a United Airlines plane when he refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight.

But it’s not seat size or overbooking that’s been causing Conejo Valley residents to literally lose sleep. It’s been noise from overhead planes. The reauthorization bill should remedy some of that, said U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Thousand Oaks).

“I have heard from many of my constituents in Ventura County about airplane noise in our district that is disrupting daily lives and diminishing quality of life, and I have been hard at work to address this issue in Congress,” Brownley said in a written statement. “I joined with my fellow members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to ensure that the final FAA reauthorization bill takes steps to address these noise concerns raised by local residents.”

Since the spring of 2017, a small but vocal group of residents have been adamant that an FAA-approved flight-path change for LAX is to blame for increased noise pollution in their neighborhoods. The new bill requires the agency to conduct noise studies and at least revisit making changes.

The initial change was part of a larger effort—dubbed the So- Cal Metroplex, part of a nationwide project called NextGen that is updating the air transportation system—to make it possible for airlines to offer more flights by optimizing air space, according to the FAA. It resulted in more flights over Thousand Oaks at a lower altitude, especially in Dos Vientos, where residents told the Acorn they were hearing flights at all hours, including very early mornings.

“Starting at 3 or 4 a.m., there’s a parade of ginormous planes that come in from Asia,” resident Lisa Renshaw told the Acorn in September 2017. “Some planes you can barely hear at all, but some are just fingers on a chalkboard.”

Residents who aired their grievances said they got the runaround from FAA and LAX officials, who both said the changes were final. The FAA originally denied that the flight path changes had any impact on the volume of overhead air traffic but later had to admit it did.

More than a year later, Renshaw said she’s been resigned to wearing earplugs when she goes to bed. She welcomed the news about the reauthorization bill with a big “Yes!”

In addition to funding the FAA for another five years, the bill authorizes money for airport noise abatement programs and includes new language to require the FAA to do more to address noise complaints.

The NextGen implementation will be a multiyear process, and the SoCal Metroplex redesign was just phase 1, Brownley’s office said.

“This new law will specifically require FAA to conduct a study of noise impacts in the So- Cal Metroplex, which includes Ventura County. The law also creates a new coordinator for noise in each region,” Brownley said in an email from her office. “These studies will help the LAX noise group in its work to mitigate noise impacts here in Ventura County, and the regional coordinator position will ensure our community has a specific point-of-contact at FAA who is responsible for responding to our local concerns.”

Specifically, the bill creates a position of regional ombudsman to serve as a liaison with the public, including community groups, on issues regarding aircraft noise, pollution and safety; to make recommendations to the FAA to address concerns raised by the public and improve the consideration of public comments in decision-making processes; and to be consulted on proposed changes in aircraft operations affecting the region, including arrival and departure routes, in order to minimize environmental impacts, including noise.

It also requires the FAA to improve its community engagement practices for Metroplex redesign projects.

“The most important thing for local residents is to get engaged in these issues,” Brownley said.

“The LAX noise group will inform future changes to airport procedures, and making sure our voices are heard, loudly and clearly, is essential to ensuring that FAA takes into account noise in our area as the agency continues to implement the NextGen system and makes additional changes to airport approach and departure paths, so residents should engage and attend noise group meetings.”