The graphic (website) version of this newsletter can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/newsletter424.htm
Quote of the Week: "We need to stop the FAA's current airspace redesign
proposal." Quote in a news story from newly elected Congressman Joe
Sestak
commenting on the FAA's Airspace Redesign scheme which will bring heavy
noise pollution on his Pennsylvania constituents
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Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter
#424.........................................................................April
15, 2007 Past newsletters can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm
The PASSUR air****t
flight
tracking system at many major U.S. air****ts
http://www.passur.com/sites.htm
(you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the
newsletter
sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy
rockaway@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Congressman Threatens To Sue FAA !!!
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As Bill Sees It: (Editorial): Who Will Get The Philadelphia Air****t
Airspace
Redesign Overflight Noise? I see that newly elected Pennsylvania
Congressman Joe Sestac (below left) has threatened, in a guest editorial,
to
sue the FAA because of the planned increase in overflights caused by the
FAA's in the Airspace Redesign scheme. It's the old story, expanding
aviation and the FAA looking for new places to dump increased flights and
the soon-to-be-blasted communities fighting back. The routing map on the
right from the Operational Analysis of Mitigation of the NY/NJ/PHL
Airspace
Redesign scheme is a good example of how the FAA polluters operate. What
they do is too propose many "alternative" routes (see map of Philadelphia
Air****t on the right) for planes then let the local communities and their
politicians fight among themselves. All the while the FAA sits back as the
great "decider" (not to be confused with Wa****ngton Moron-in-Chief) who
sits
back as the chosen communities politicians come to them with their hats in
their hands. The FAA then will make a POLITICAL decision on which
community
will get overflights concentrated and dumped on it. This process gives
the
FAA enormous political power which translates into increased funding for
their despicable agency. It will be interesting to see if Rep. Sestac will
take the bone that the FAA will no doubt throw him. If Sestac wins, the
FAA
will no doubt do just do what they did at JFK Air****t and not make any
routing changes at all. I'll bet they just put the increased impacts over
politically weak communities which already are unfairly heavily impacted.
No
doubt the air****t will offer their politicians some big job for their
friends, sup****ters or relatives to continue to sell out their
constituents.
FAA's Office Of Technical Excuses: The corrupt FAA even has a special
department (the Office of Environment and Energy) whose job it is to find
reasons to dump overflights on the specially chosen, "preferred"
communities. The will look for anything they can find, like a railroad
yard,
body of water or sewage treatment plant in the targeted community and then
use that as a reason to overfly that community. COMPLETELY ignoring the
human impacts no matter how densely populated the community is!!! I wonder
which late night "heading" and which community will be chosen as the
preferred, late night overflight dumping ground for Philadelphia Air****t?
The FAA's Unfair, Corrupt And POLITICAL Aircraft Routing Process!!! Even
though a community has a flight heading over it does not mean it will get
heavy overflights. A good example of this political and unscientific
process
can be seen at JFK Air****t. Late night (midnight to 7 a.m.) flight are
routed over politically weak, poor and minority and densely populated
"preferred late night overflight" areas in Rockaway while the wealthy and
white area of Lawrence, Long Island gets almost completely avoided. It is
no
mistake that JFK Air****t departures are not even listed in the Airspace
Redesign Draft EIS or the recent Operational Update. This is because the
FAA
wants to hide the fact that they intend to continue and increase their
overflights over Rockaway. My letters and complaints about the avoidance
of
any analysis of these impacts and the continuation and increase of these
impacts on the poor and minority areas of Rockaway, N.Y. City were
completely ignored by the FAA in their recent Airspace Redesign "update."
Suing The FAA: I disagree with those who say that lawsuits cannot be won
against the FAA. How could ANY judge or jury accept that concentrating
late
night impacts (see JFK Air****t map on the upper left) on one "preferred"
community (in the case of Rockaway, poor and minority) can be anything but
unjust, racist, politically motivated...and ILLEGAL? The problem is that
when there is a lawsuit the FAA makes a deal with the local community and
their politicians to dump the air****t's impacts on another community; and
the corrupt, unscientific routing policy continues.
FAA Airspace Redesign Web Site Displays Contrail Polluted Sky!!! Stuck in
the latest Airspace Redesign update was a link to a site called the
Federal
Aviation Administration Flight Plan 2004-2008. This where the FAA tells of
their plans for U.S. aviation. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see one
word
about noise or air pollution impacts. In the site they have pictures
illustrating their online brochure. One picture (right) showing the "air
traffic flow" showed the worst contrail pollution I've ever seen. It's
almost as if the FAA criminals delight in polluting the sky with their
streaks of toxic pollutants.
New York: Stewart Air****t Takeover Now Said To Be "Weeks" Away!!! Typical
of
the corruption, lies and rottenness that surrounds aviation and air****ts,
in
a news story this week it was announced by Orange County, New York
"environmentalist" Congressman Hall that the bi-state ****t Authority will
sign the takeover lease in "two to four weeks!!!" Hall announced this at a
meeting with "local officials" but has not yet had one public meeting on
the
takeover. This is just the latest indication of the deception involving
the
building of what many believe will be a giant, air cargo hub for the N.Y.
City area. Incredibly, while ignoring the calls for a public hearing on
the
worst environmental impact ever to hit the Hudson Valley region of New
York,
Hall hosted a public "wind power" forum!!! Local environmental groups,
like
Usterites Fight Overflight Noise (UFO) are not fooled by this deception
and
I understand letters have been sent out demanding that the public be
involved in decision making process BEFORE the ****t Authority lease
takeover. Hall's congressional district is classified by the EPA as being
a
heavily air polluted "non-attainment" area. Maybe he hopes the turbulence
from the Stewart Air****t jets will power his wind turbines.
Congressman Sestac (D-Pa) Says In Guest Editorial That Airspace Redesign
Scheme Must Be Stopped!!! We need to stop the FAA's current airspace
redesign proposal. It will have a serious, negative impact on our quality
of
life, ranging from sound and noise and their impact on educational
development and health, to the impact on ground safety and our property
values. Because of this, I established an Advisory Board consisting of
local
and national aviation experts immediately after the election and before I
was even sworn into Congress. This board *****sed, quantified and re****ted
with compelling data the negative impacts of the FAA's proposal on
Delaware
County residents covering these critical areas and developed a multi-part
plan to address this issue. In fact, I spoke with Administrator Blakey to
lay out what needs to be done to fully mitigate any impact on the safety,
health, education and property values of my constituents and stressed that
the airspace redesign process needs to be delayed until all concerns are
addressed, despite the Administrator noting that the process started 10
years ago. I also discussed the option of litigation, informing
Administrator Blakey that it was a necessary option if the process was not
delayed to take account of the issues we raised and to have the noise
impact
fully mitigated. Editor's Note: The whole rotten Airspace Redesign scheme
should be litigated not only for Rep. Sestac's constituents but for all
the
FAA's victims. Who will get the overflights if the FAA backs down and
makes
a deal to avoid Rep. Sestac's constituents?
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18185672&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18168&rfi=6
Pennsylvania: FAA's Airspace Redesign "Disaster" For Impacted
Communities!!! The noise is growing louder. And it's not the rumbling of
overhead jets. Well, actually it is. But it's also the sound of both sides
digging in their heels and venting their spleens over the controversial
plan
to redesign flight paths around Philadelphia International Air****t. This
much the Federal Aviation Administration and Delaware County officials
agree
on: The air****t, much like similar facilities all across the Northeast, is
broken and needs to be fixed. It's how to fix it, and how much pain the
cure
will inflict on Delaware County, that has the two sides sniping at each
other. Back in March the feds offered their preferred solution, which
would
allow departing planes that now normally follow the Delaware River as they
climb to an altitude above 3,000 feet to instead take what amounts to a
right turn at much lower altitudes, putting them over the heart of
Delaware
County. The reaction here in the county was swift and decisive. County
Council boss Andy Reilly, who went to D.C. himself for the FAA's
announcement, termed the plan a "disaster" for the county. Residents from
Ridley Park to Haverford also raised their voices against the increased
noise and possible reduction in their property values, to say nothing of
the
potential for catastrophe of all those added flights over heavily
populated
areas of the county. Reilly was adamant that the proposed "cure" would do
little to ease the number one problem at the air****t, on-time performance.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18198981&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6
Health Effects of Noise on Children: "Calling noise a nuisance is like
calling smog an inconvenience," said Dr. William H. Stewart, former U.S.
Surgeon General. "Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of
people
everywhere." Studies and research conducted by the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the National Institute of Public Health, the Department of
Public Health and the National Noise Center, the National Center for
Environmental Health and the World Health Organization, unanimously list
the
harmful effects of noise as multiple, far-reaching and, in some cases,
irreversible. Those can include hearing loss or impairment, interference
with speech communication, disturbance of rest and sleep, mental-health
and
performance effects, effects on residential behavior and annoyance,
performance reduction as well as interference with intended activities.
Studies are also underway to corroborate a theory potentially linking
noise
to another serious condition, Menieres Disease, which causes fluctuating
hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), bouts of vertigo and
headaches.
Because noise causes stress, it elicits an increased adrenaline reaction,
affecting the cardiovascular system, changing heart rate and causing a
rise
in blood pressure.
http://www.babyzone.com/loadpage/article.asp?contentid=1019
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Im****tant Aviation News Stories This
Week
"Environmentalist" Congressman Announces Stewart Air****t Deal "Two To Four
Weeks Away"
Hall
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/Hall_SWF-11Apr07.html
Stewart Air****t - Freshman Congressman John Hall of Dover Plains Tuesday
got
an earful from local officials about Stewart Air****t and its planned
growth.
Hall convened the meeting at Stewart and brought together officials from
the
****t Authority, the air****t and local municipalities.
They met privately before Hall briefed the media about their session,
which
will be the first of many to come, he said.
Hall and the others discussed details about specific projects including
the
I-84/Drury Lane entrance and a possible rail spur from Salisbury Mills to
Stewart, as well as other issues.
Those include increased TSA presence, building an international passenger
terminal, and even bus trans****tation from the air****t down the City of
Newburgh's Broadway corridor. Hall said he is working to have funding
included in the federal budget for some of these projects.
With the ****t Authority poised to take over Stewart, Hall announced the
agency said it is two to four weeks away from signing a contract with
current air****t lessee National Express Group. The ****t hopes to take
control of Stewart in November.
Hall said the need to keep the open dialogue going with the local
officials
is most im****tant. In fact, air****t President Charles Seliga said there
was
a "spirit of cooperation" at the closed door meeting.
Congressman Guest Column: We need to stop the FAA's airspace redesign as
proposed
By Rep. Joe Sestak, Times Guest Columnist 04/09/2007
We need to stop the FAA's current airspace redesign proposal.
It will have a serious, negative impact on our quality of life, ranging
from sound and noise and their impact on educational development and
health,
to the impact on ground safety and our property values.
Because of this, I established an Advisory Board consisting of local and
national aviation experts immediately after the election and before I was
even sworn into Congress. This board *****sed, quantified and re****ted
with
compelling data the negative impacts of the FAA's proposal on Delaware
County residents covering these critical areas and developed a multi-part
plan to address this issue.
In early January I met with Deputy Secretary of Trans****tation Maria Cino
about the re****t of the Aviation Advisory Board to underscore the impact
of
the FAA's proposed airspace redesign on Delaware County's citizens.
As a result, she arranged for the first time since the FAA's airspace
redesign has been proposed that the FAA's Airspace Redesign Manager be
permitted to directly answer questions from concerned citizens on this
issue. We held that public town hall in Ridley Town****p.
I also brought up Congressman Jerry Costello, Chairman of the U.S. House
of
Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation, to Delaware County to provide
elected and community leaders with the op****tunity to directly present
their
views about how the FAA Airspace Redesign will impact Delaware County
residents, as well as to hear the flaws of the proposal from the Expert
Advisory Board. This event, which consisted of a series of briefings by
FAA
Airspace Manager Steve Kelley and the Expert Advisory Board, resulted in
Chairman Costello contacting FAA Administrator Marion Blakey the next day
to
say he wanted her to receive our panel's presentation, which he noted was
the most informative, insightful, and professional presentation on an FAA
issue during his 18 years serving on the Aviation Subcommittee.
In fact, I spoke with Administrator Blakey to lay out what needs to be
done
to fully mitigate any impact on the safety, health, education and property
values of my constituents and stressed that the airspace redesign process
needs to be delayed until all concerns are addressed, despite the
Administrator noting that the process started 10 years ago. I also
discussed
the option of litigation, informing Administrator Blakey that it was a
necessary option if the process was not delayed to take account of the
issues we raised and to have the noise impact fully mitigated. In
response,
Administrator Blakey will be meeting on April 20 with Chairman Costello,
myself, the Expert Advisory Board, and other Members of Congress,
including
Congressman Rob Andrews - whose district is impacted by increased landings
due to the redesign - to discuss the need to delay the process as
necessary
to give time to address our concerns and then explore other redesign
options.
Our efforts have already had an impact, although more needs to be done.
Instead of four initial departure routes going over Delaware County, now
there is one. Originally 113,000 people were impacted by the FAA's
original
proposal, now there are 7,000. But that is still 7000 too many, and while
this shows there has been progress in working with FAA, we cannot stop
until
all noise is eliminated. The FAA uses a standard on noise levels to *****s
when noise has any impact. That level is too high, and I - and others such
as the EPA - want that standard to be lower. In addition, the FAA must
also
include the costs of noise on our residents' educational development and
health, ground safety, and our property values in its *****sments, forcing
the FAA to then pursue other options once the true cost of noise and its
impact are included. Bottom line: no one should be negatively impacted by
this airspace redesign proposal, and all noise and its impact must be
eliminated.
I also sup****t litigation as a necessary option, but I also recognize that
the FAA has eventually won 12 of the 13 cases litigated against it on
redesigns in recent history (in the one case in which the FAA lost, it was
due to the FAA not following the process as required by the law).
Therefore, I am also working with Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ) to
develop
legislation to delay or stop the process as necessary until both of our
concerns on the FAA's proposed airspace redesign on our citizens' safety,
health, education, and property values are addressed and other options -
such as outlying airfields-are pursued.
This airspace redesign proposal has been working for over five years, but
if
we now work together on three primary avenues - two of which I have begun
that have not been pursued before over those years - to address this issue
we can do what is best for the people of Delaware County to stop the FAA
proposal. That is why I am working as follows: (1) I will continue to work
with the FAA to lay out what needs to be done to fully mitigate any impact
on the safety, health, education and property values of Delaware County
residents so that the airspace redesign process is delayed until all
concerns are addressed and there is no noise impact; (2) I am working on
legislation, including in the FAA Reauthorization Bill, to similarly
address
our concerns by stopping the airspace proposal until a new process is
followed to eliminate noise; and (3) I sup****t litigation as necessary to
help us achieve our goal.
All of these options need to be pursued at the appropriate time, and some
simultaneously, to ensure that we approach this problem from all angles.
This is my number one local issue, and I will continue to work with you
and
everyone involved in this issue to address all of our concerns. The hour
may
be late, and the agenda still long, but we must not stop until this
proposal
is stopped as presently still designed... and with no noise.
U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, represents much of Delaware County
in
the U.S. Congress.
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