- When: Sunday, November 22nd, 6:00-7:30 pm Where: Culver City Teen Center, 4153 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230 Please RSVP and register for free tickets to this event at: https://bass.house.gov/culvercity This is your chance to express your concerns regarding NextGen and the increased jet noise and pollution we are currently experiencing in Culver City and surrounding communities DIRECTLY to our congressional representative. This is also our chance to urge Congresswoman Bass to use ALL her power, influence, and connections in Washington to: 1) Rally support for Congresswoman Norton's call for a Congressional Hearing into the FAA and NextGen 2) Pass the Quiet Communities Act of 2015 3) Pass the FAA Community Accountability Act of 2015 4) Join the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus We need to show up EN MASSE to urge Congresswoman Bass to advocate for us. LET'S ALL BE THERE!!! AND BRING YOUR RALLY SIGNS!!! ____________________________________________ CONGRESSWOMAN NORTON'S CALL FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING INTO NEXTGEN: Congresswoman Norton, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee, is calling for a congressional hearing to investigate the intolerable airplane noise in residential communities across the country caused by the new flight paths designed to implement NextGen. The airplane noise residents are experiencing throughout the country is not unique and has become a national issue, and a congressional hearing is in order. The FAA needs to explain what they are doing to mitigate noise caused by their design changes. The American people deserve an answer! THE QUIET COMMUNITIES ACT OF 2015: The Quiet Communities Act of 2015 is a federal legislation that would benefit ALL communities across the U.S., including Culver City and surrounding communities. It would restore the EPA’s Office of Noise Abatement and Control, require the EPA Administrator to conduct a study of airport noise, and examine the FAA’s selection of noise measurement methodologies, health impact thresholds, and abatement program effectiveness. THE FAA COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2015: The FAA Community Accountability Act would establish a new process to compel the FAA to reconsider existing flight routes that are exposing residents to unacceptably high levels of aviation noise. The legislation would also end the presumption under current law that flight paths implemented through the NextGen program may not follow pre-existing routes, even when these paths better reflect land use around the airport. The bill would designate Community Ombudsmen to serve as effective, independent voices for airport communities within the agency. Finally, the bill would prevent the FAA from bypassing the environmental review process for new flight paths over the objections of local communities. THE CONGRESSIONAL QUIET SKIES CAUCUS: The Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus consists of Representatives throughout the country who are now pushing for recommendations for the 2015 Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act that would help address the harmful impacts of aircraft noise over communities across the country, including: 1. Mandate a robust community engagement process, including pre-decisional public hearings, for new flight paths or procedures or changes to existing flight paths and procedures. 2. Require FAA to use supplemental noise metrics when considering the impact of aviation noise on affected communities and lower the acceptable noise threshold for affected homes and businesses. 3. Clarify that airport operators are legally allowed to implement—and should strongly consider—noise mitigation options in communities experiencing aircraft noise levels below the current noise threshold. 4. Reform Section 213(c)(2) of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which allows FAA to short-circuit the environmental review process when implementing new flight paths. 5. Mandate independent research on the health impacts of aviation noise.