December 2022 MCQSC Update: Congressional Letter to FAA — Noise-Impacted Communities Must Be Heard

Twenty-one members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus (CQSC), including Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8th District), sent a strongly-worded letter Dec. 1 to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Acting Director Billy Nolan asking the FAA to take specific actions to ensure that communities impacted by aviation are treated as legitimate stakeholders in the FAA’s decision-making processes.   

Key points in the letter:

"…. the FAA continues to systematically exclude aviation noise impacted communities as 'key aviation stakeholders'."

"One solution to this exclusion of impacted communities would be to create an aviation noise policy advisory committee comprised of members of aviation noise impacted community groups.  Therefore, we request that the FAA establish such an advisory committee within 30 days to serve as a national committee commensurate to other “key external stakeholders” as part of the FAA Noise Policy Review.  The creation of this committee will best represent the realities of the impact of airport noise by having those effected be able to voice their concerns directly to the FAA."

"Aircraft noise can be substantially harmful to the health and wellbeing of our impacted constituents.  It is the FAA’s responsibility to serve not only the aviation industry but also everyday Americans who are harmed by collateral impacts of the aviation industry."