Rep. Speier Introduces Bills To Reduce Airport Noise For Residents Near SFO
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Residents who live near San Francisco International Airport may soon be hearing less noise from airplane flights thanks to a series of new bills that aim to mitigate the noise, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) announced Monday.
Speier is introducing five bills in Congress along with Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Monterey, focused not only on reducing noise, but also prioritizing health impacts related to noise for residents.
The Restore Everyone's Sleep Tonight Act would allow airports to self-impose curfews anytime between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The All Participating in Process Reaching Informed Solutions for
Everyone Act ensures that community representatives will be allowed to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration's procedure design process.
The Fairness in Airspace Includes Residents Act would amend the FAA's prioritization of the nation's airspace, putting noise and health impacts to residents second to safety.
The Responsive Employees Support Productive Educated Congressional Talk Act would require FAA staff to respond to members of Congress regarding flight procedures affecting their district within 90 days.
The Notified Officials to Inform Fully Impel Educated Decisions Act would require the FAA to notify local governments about new or modified flight paths.
In addition to those five bills, Speier has also introduced three separate bills to further combat airport noise. The Serious Noise Reduction Efforts Act aims to establish a program at SFO to noise insulate over 200 nearby homes annually, or provide financial support to cities impacted by noise.
The Southbound HUSSH and NIITE Help Households Act would require the FAA to continue processing the proposed SFO NIITE Departure Southbound Transition and the OAK HUSSH Departure Southbound Transition.
The Low-Frequency Energetic Acoustics and Vibrations Exasperate Act would establish standards and remedies for ground-based low-frequency noise and vibration impacting nearby residents.
"The nonstop noise from flights is seriously affecting residents' sleep, mental health, and overall quality of life," Speier said in a statement.
"There is a certain expectation for noise when living near an airport, but this crosses a line. Residents who are at their wits' end have used every available public channel to address this issue to no avail. Our legislation would create new pathways for change and improve overalls responsiveness by the FAA -- a public agency that has a responsibility to be accountable to the people," she said.
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