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Rockland County, NY - Court Throws Out Challenge to FAA Airspace Redesign Plan |
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Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef said that he would appeal the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The county and 11 other governments and organizations from Delaware to Connecticut argued that the Federal Aviation Administration did not follow a number of its own rules and regulations when it approved an air traffic plan for the Northeast in 2007.
The FAA is trying to implement its New York-New Jersey-Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Airspace Redesign project, which could bring as many as 600 planes over Rockland on busy days.
The agency has said congested airspace above New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut needs to be changed to improve safety and reduce delays. The court found no merit in some of the petitioners' claims and dismissed or denied in part the remaining claims.
"We plan to petition the court to ask for a hearing to appeal this decision, which seems to have been made with absolutely no regard for the people whose lives will be adversely affected by this flawed redesign plan," Vanderhoef said in a statement.
"The court's rejection of the case also did not consider serious Clean Air Act stipulations by excusing the FAA from its failure to quantify the impact of increased air emissions from the redesign plan, placing it in potential violation," Vanderhoef said.
The basis of the suit included the FAA's use of unreliable methodology to measure potential noise impact, failure to adequately address environmental concerns, and possible violations of the federal Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 in its treatment of alternatives and noise mitigation issues, Vanderhoef said.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also opposes the redesign, said he would ask the full U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse the three-judge panel and if necessary will pursue a rehearing and review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The FAA failed to acknowledge, let alone adequately consider, the impact of increased noise on residents and state parks in southwestern Connecticut and four other states when it redesigned its flight paths," Blumenthal said.
In its judgment, the three-member panel ruled that the FAA had followed all applicable rules and given a "hard look" at potential environmental impacts when such review was required.
The redesign would launch in July 2012. More than 11,000 people in Orangetown and Ramapo could hear more noise from 300 to 400 planes preparing to land at Newark Liberty International Airport each day, and as many as 600 on busy days. Newark arrivals currently travel farther west, over Orange County.
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Read Comments (6) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 13, 2009 at 10:44 PM Anonymous Says:
Are you kidding, its already noisier. The FAA chose to fly over Rockland county as opposed to others because we have weak government officials running our county, and no St.Lawrence isn't going to help.
2
Jun 13, 2009 at 11:20 PM Anonymous Says:
Nobody wants a shul, train station, airport, catering halls or anything next to the rhome but many decide to move in these areas and then complain!
What is even funnier is how we all want these things but not in our backyard. Where elese shold an airport be? Airplanes have to fly over someones house to get to the airport.
3
Jun 13, 2009 at 11:56 PM Anonymous Says:
I live in new jersey and every day there are 100's of planes flying over us but it dosent bother anyone its normal and u really don't hear them
4
Jun 14, 2009 at 01:05 AM On EWR's Landing Pattern Says:
I live in EWR's landing pattern. Planes fly over my house and are in EWR within about 4 mins. I fly a lot and I know the flight patterns. I know where the planes fly over Rockland County both on the way in and out of the NY area. The people in Rock' shouldnt be making a big deal about it. The noise will be WAY LESS than it is in BoroPark and its not as noisy there anymore without these 727s flying over on the way into LGA.
Rockland people should just be quiet. There is no reason to make a fuss!
5
Jul 10, 2009 at 01:21 PM Anonymous Says:
Think about it- 600 planes a day comes out to 2 planes every 5 minutes. At 4,000 feet. You will hear them loud and clear inside your home, and so will the guy you're trying to sell your house to.
6
Oct 30, 2009 at 07:09 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Think about it- 600 planes a day comes out to 2 planes every 5 minutes. At 4,000 feet. You will hear them loud and clear inside your home, and so will the guy you're trying to sell your house to. ”
the sound of jets at 4,000 ft is hardly noise pollution. The freight trains in rockland make much more noise.