North Boston News

Dear friends and neighbors, 

Over the past few years, I have heard from you and your neighbors about an increase in noise generated by airplanes across the North Shore and Merrimack Valley.

I understand how frustrated many of you are by this noise and the disruption it creates in your daily lives. I also share your concerns about the use of leaded fuel by prop planes taking off and landing at regional and municipal airports in Beverly and Andover. We need to scale unleaded fuel so that aircraft can access it and use it safely, and we can stop using leaded fuel for flying as soon as possible.  

As a Member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, I have been working with my colleagues to mitigate noise disruption. I have also been working with my colleagues on the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee to address aircraft-related noise and air quality issues through the legislation our committee considers.

https://twitter.com/RepMoulton/status/1668704741873045505?s=20

Rep. Moulton questions FAA leadership on phasing out leaded aviation fuel at a February 2023 committee hearing.

Every few years, Congress debates how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is budgeted and managed and reauthorizes its major programs, from air traffic control and regional airport operations to flight safety and airline passenger consumer protections.

This year’s FAA reauthorization bill addresses aviation noise and fuel issues by: 

• Creating a Community Collaboration Program to engage residents on airport planning and development, noise and environmental policy, and air traffic arrival and departure routes.
• Directing the National Academies to conduct a study on aviation noise metrics to identify the best tools for assessing the impact of airplane noise on public health.
• Establishing an Aviation Noise Officer to serve as a public liaison on aircraft noise and recommend ways to minimize noise in densely populated areas.
• Defining the timeline for eliminating the use of leaded aviation fuel by 2030 and creating a transition plan to safely expedite the transition of the piston-engine general aviation aircraft fleet to unleaded fuels by 2030.
• Expanding protections for passengers by requiring airlines to develop better reimbursement policies for flight cancellations and delays and more robust plans to prevent and limit the impact of mass flight disruptions. Also, requiring airlines to improve airplane wheelchair accessibility and to allow passengers to sit next to their young children.

The bill passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee a few days ago and will be voted on by the full House later this summer. It will then be reconciled with the Senate’s version before the final bill is passed later this year. 

While these measures will not solve every issue overnight, I will continue to advocate for policies that mitigate airport noise and pollution issues where I can.

As always, please contact my office if you have any questions or if we can assist you in any way. 

All the best, 

Rep. Seth Moulton

Member of Congress

Massachusetts' District Six

Original source can be found here.