The Town of North Hempstead is leading a county-wide petition against the Federal Aviation Administration over low-flying planes, excessive air traffic noise and pollution in a joint petition with the Town of Hempstead.
“Many neighbors ask me when we’re finally going to do something about the inescapable nuisance of airplane noise. I’m happy to report that time is now,” North Hempstead Supervisor Jeniffer DeSena said. “We are fed up with our outdoor gatherings with family and friends being ruined. This summer should be the last in which we keep looking up and shouting over each other. It’s time to hold the FAA accountable for their negligence.”
The towns are threatening a lawsuit if the aviation administration fails to respond within 90 days.
The petition is on behalf of the two towns’ residents who have repeatedly reported the issues of low-flying planes, loud air traffic noise, air pollution and other airplane-related disturbances.
The issue has plagued communities for over a decade, with many local villages seeking out solutions and asking for help from their elected representatives. Residents have cited a negative effect on their quality of life at many of these local meetings.
“Our town’s residents deserve better,” said DeSena. “The FAA has a responsibility to seriously explore a fairer distribution of flight paths. We can no longer absorb the brunt of this.”
The petition demands that the Federal Aviation Administration conduct a study on the issue and look into alternative air routes to diminish these effects.
Local officials called for a new environmental review, saying the last one was conducted in 2017 and flights have only increased since then.
An environmental review is required under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, and officials called the lack of one since 2017 negligence by the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a press release, the Town of North Hempstead called the Fourth of July holiday one of the busiest travel periods. It estimated that residents in areas like Roslyn would experience one plane flying over their home every 90 seconds on a common flight path to the JFK International Airport.
This specific flight path also shows planes at 3,000 feet from Roslyn and dropping below 2,000 feet above some neighborhoods before arriving at the airport, according to the town.
In petitioning for a change, other local elected officials joined the two town supervisors in support. This included District 7 State Sen. Jack Martins (R–Old Westbury).
“I’ve been fighting this fight for nearly 15 years and it’s only getting worse,” Martins said. “I can tell you that the FAA has a long history of ignoring our community’s pleas for assistance. They don’t want to study the issue because they’re afraid of the consequences. They’d rather keep our families at risk and willfully close their eyes to the problem than pursue meaningful solutions.”