Dear petition signers,

We hope you are safe and well. Tomorrow April 14 is the deadline to submit public comments to the FAA regarding their Neighborhood Environmental Survey findings studying aircraft noise and its effects on communities.  

We urge you to submit your own comment, and to assist you see below for our comment that was submitted today.  

Please use this link to send your own helicopter noise comments to the FAA - due April 14! 

https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2021-0037-0001
or 

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FAA-2021-0037-0001

The FAA released their findings of their Neighborhood Environmental Survey here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-13/pdf/2021-00564.pdf
and announcing the Department of Transportation and FAA request for public input
- This link includes a 'Browse Comments' section for those interested in reviewing comments filed by others: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2021-0037-0001

Feel free to copy and paste from our comment below, but also definitely use your own words describing your negative experiences of helicopter noise. 

If you don’t want to use their web portal, you can also fax your comment:
Fax to Docket Operations at (202) 493–2251

(Please note the privacy policy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov including any personal information the commenter provides.

Stop the Chop NY/NJ’s Comment is below:
Agency: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)
Document Type: Notice
Title: Overview of FAA Aircraft Noise Policy and Research Efforts: Research Activities to Inform Aircraft Noise Policy
Document ID: FAA-2021-0037-0001

To Whom It May Concern,

I am a Board member of “Stop The Chop NY/NJ” (STC), a grass roots organization, focused on eliminating non-essential helicopters from the NY metropolitan area and as such is supportive of Congressional Bill H.R. 1643 (The Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2021). On behalf of STC, we appreciate your time and willingness to consider our input on the important issues surrounding FAA policies and regulations, noise pollution and its adverse impacts on residents and local communities.

STC represents thousands of NY metropolitan area residents that are currently suffering from non-essential (i.e. tourist, charter and commuter) helicopters that fly incessantly and dangerously over residential neighborhoods, and common spaces such as parks and historical sites. STC believes the population of communities adversely affected by aircraft noise needs to be expanded to those not just living near heliports but living as well under busy tourist and commuter helicopter flight paths (including but not limited to New York City and the New York metropolitan area; Long Island, NY; New Jersey; Hawaii, HW; Washington, DC; Colorado; Los Angeles; and the Grand Canyon in Arizona). We request the FAA’s community involvement activities be expanded to include those communities.

STC urges the FAA to implement noise mitigation policies that not only consider indoor noise but also residents’ rights to the peaceful enjoyment of their private outdoor property and public outdoor parks and public spaces funded by taxpayers.

Furthermore, STC believes that decades of scientific evidence show that aviation noise including helicopters causes annoyance, stress, and sleep disruption and adversely affects cardiovascular health, mental health, learning, productivity, and quality of life. These outcomes impose substantial economic costs to our communities, for health care, lost productivity, and remedial learning.

The relationship between noise and cardiovascular disease is well understood, involving elevations in stress hormones, blood pressure, heart rate, and other risk factors that raise the risks of stroke, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, metabolic disturbances, and mortality.

Studies have shown that annoyance and sleep disruption from both aviation and helicopter noise can also disrupt cognition, learning, and productivity. The FAA has acknowledged the detrimental effects of aviation noise on health and learning and spent hundreds of millions of dollars installing sound insulation in schools and residences. Although these measures are laudable, they are insufficient. STC believes that much more is needed.

Further research is not necessary for the FAA to implement changes to alleviate the suffering of so many in and around the flight paths of helicopters. Whether it is the NextGen jets or helicopters, we already know from the plethora of existing research studies that constant exposure to loud aircraft is a serious health hazard.

Again, we appreciate your time and consideration.

Eric Katzman - Board Member
Stop the Chop NY/NJ - www.stopthechopnynj.org

Melissa Elstein - Coalition Organizer & Board Secretary Stop the Chop NY NJ
www.stopthechopnynj.org
Please sign our Change.org petition: http://bitly.ws/aNIP