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Politics & Government

Congress to Vote on FAA Flight Noise Study

Congressman Jim Himes (D-4) talks to Patch about his proposed amendment to an FAA bill, the budget, and LIbya.

If an airplane flies overhead and no one studies the decibel level does it make any noise? That’s the question in a district where complaints about airplane noise abound.

Elected officials will soon have the data to answer the question, said Rep. Jim Himes (D-4). Congress will vote on the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill either this afternoon or tomorrow.  The bill will require the FAA Administrator, and the Port Authorities of New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia to study the noise impact of the FAA’s redesign efforts and report its findings to Congress. 

“After years of being concerned about this, there is some relief for people,” Himes said.

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Until now Himes and others have relied on data cataloged by concerned constituents. Most complaints come from residents living in Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, and Greenwich. They are in the flight path of Westchester Airport.

Himes’ office said little official progress has been made on the issue, so the requirement is a big deal.

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Also, Himes co-sponsored an amendment that would bar the FAA from proceeding with its redesign plans unless it presents Congress with alternatives. The other signatories were Reps. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Bob Andrews (D-NJ), and Eliot Engle (D-NY).

That the amendment will be debated is no small victory, Himes said.

“The last Congress tried to require the FAA to do this. We tried three times with an amendment and it failed,” Himes said. “This time the base bill will require a study of the noise impact on the redesign. That’s good news.” 

New runways are planned as part of the airspace redesign. They should help reduce delays and perhaps save money on fuel costs for airlines in part because planes will no longer have to circle above the runway until spots open. The FAA has 12 months after completing the report to present its findings.

Alternate ideas include requiring planes to fly using GPS, which some aviation experts say can allow planes to take off and land closer together.

 The FAA and any other participating partners will fund the study, though it’s cost isn’t yet known.

In addition Himes spoke to Patch about two other issues recently dominating the news: the federal budget and Libya.

During a recent round of district town hall meetings on the federal deficit, Himes pegged a government shut down at better than 50 percent.  This morning he was more sanguine. According to Politico.com there is a budget deal containing $33 billion in cuts. Originally the Republicans called for $60 billion in cuts and the Democrats for $20 billion.

“I have a flicker of optimism this morning,” Himes said. “But the tea party has scheduled a rally today and that could put pressure on the Republicans to be more uncompromising.”

Himes was however uncompromising in his stance regarding Libya. There are reports that France is pressuring Washington to arm the rebels.

“I was in a classified briefing yesterday with Gates, Clinton, and the DNI. Right now there is no plan to arm the rebels and I would be deeply skeptical of the idea,” Himes said. “These rebels are disorganized and not well trained. There are unsavory characters in the mix.”

Recent news accounts suggest the rebels have ties with Al-Qaeda.

While Himes has publicly criticized President Barack Obama for not consulting Congress, Himes said military action averted a massacre in Benghazi. Some, including French President Nicholas Sarkozy said without airstrikes, Benghazi would have become another Srebrenica, Bosnia.

During the July 1995 massacre, Bosnian Serbs killed more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys. As a result some have compared that atrocity and the wars in the Balkans with the Libyan situation.

Himes disagreed.

“I never thought I’d say this but the situation in the Balkans was less complex. All sides had military training. The leaders while unsavory were more rational and there were clear nationalistic aims,” Himes said. “A more apt comparison would be Rwanda. I think that was one of several key factors.”

Moreover, Himes said the international military action prevented hundreds of thousands of refugees from fleeing into Egypt and Tunisia. Both countries are still reeling from recent protests. It also stopped refugees from heading to Italy and France.

 “But now its time for the Europeans and the Arab League to take the bulk of the burden here and step up,” Himes said.

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