Responses to the FAA’s April 2020 Noise Metrics Report Regarding DNL and 65 DNL Standard – June-September 2020
Date: June – September 2020
Description: In April 2020 the FAA issued its Report to Congress on alternative noise metrics and the 65 DNL standard for airplane noise of sections 173 and 188 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The report failed to fulfill the requirements and this project features several components.
5. Press Release and Letter: “Norton, Quiet Skies Caucus Send Letter to FAA on Aircraft Noise”
Press Release March 11, 2021 – Members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus sent a letter to FAA Administrator Dickson expressing concerns over the Neighborhood Environmental Survey. The letter points out that the noise metrics are outdated and do not accurately reflect the level of disruption caused by aircraft noise. “We also sought formal responses to the questions in the appended Citizens’ Response Report, a Technical Report to the FAA’s April 2020 Report on Alternative Noise Metrics (Reauthorization Act of 2018, Sections 173 and 188). We have not received responses.” See items 2 And 3 above for the Technical Response and Questions documents.
PDF copy of press release available here.
4. Press Release and Letter: “Norton, Bass and 27 House Members Send Letter to Federal Aviation Administration Following Inadequate Report on Aircraft Noise Mitigation Efforts”
Press Release September 24, 2020 – Members of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus sent a letter to FAA Administrator Dickson stating that “(t)he FAA failed to meet its mandate because it didn’t evaluate alternative noise metrics, standing by standards that don’t fully capture noise impacts….The FAA must go back to the drawing board and write a new report. In the meantime, I (sic) (we) expect detailed responses to the questions raised by our constituents in this letter.”
PDF copy of press release available here.
3. “Questions Pertaining to the FAA Metrics Report to Congress on the DNL Metric and 65 DNL Standard for Airplane Noise.” AICA, Sept. 2020.
Three documents were shared with Congressional Staffers in June 2020 ahead of their meeting with the FAA on June 25, 2020: the Executive Summary, Technical Response and a list of Questions to FAA Pertaining to the Metrics Report. Three documents were shared with Congressional Staffers ahead of their meeting with the FAA on June 25, 2020: Executive Summary, Technical Response and a list of Questions to FAA Pertaining to the Metrics Report. An expanded list of questions was issued on September 6, 2020. The QSC asked the FAA to respond to the questions at their meeting on June 25th and in their March 11, 2021 letter (See items 4 and 5 below).
2. “Technical Response for Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus Staffers Re. FAA’s Report to Congress: DNL Metric and DNL 65 Standard for Airplane Noise.” AICA, June 2020
The FAA’s April 2020 response, dated June 24, 2020, provides a detailed technical critique of the FAA’s April 2020 Report to Congress on aviation noise metrics and standards. It is a companion document to the “Executive Summary” for Congressional Quiet Skies Staffers. The document provides extensive supporting evidence for the claim that the FAA’s metrics report is wholly inadequate and should be redone. This document was written by AICA with input from local, regional and national colleagues in aviation-impacted communities.
1. “Executive Summary for Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus Staffers Re. FAA’s Report to Congress on the DNL Metric and 65 DNL Standard for Airplane Noise.” AICA, June 2020.
The summary, originally dated June 2020, explains why Congress should reject the FAA Metrics Report as wholly inadequate and require the FAA to produce within 6 months a revised report addressing the deficiencies described in the paper.