Below is a letter sent to the BOAC regarding the upcoming meeting of
the Part 150 Steering Committee. The Committee will meet on
July 12, 2000 at 7 pm at the Airtel. It is very important that you
attend and speak out. The Committee asked for copies of the
base noise map for the year 2004. This would show a large increase in the impacted area. However, the Mr. Wong, the chairman appears to
want to delay the release of this crucial map. The letter below
speaks for itself.
Stop the Noise Coalition!
PO Box 260205, Encino, CA 91426
email: gsilver@sprintmail.com
June 28, 2000
Mr. Maurice Laham
Environmental Management
Meeting Date: July 12, 2000, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Location: Airtel Plaza, Van Nuys
One World Way, PO Box 92216
Los Angeles, CA 90009-2216
RE: VAN NUYS AIRPORT (VNY) PART 150 HELICOPTER CURFEW - AGENDA
Thank you for sending me the Status Report on the Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program (NCP), and the letter from Mr. Wong, BOAC Commissioner. In his letter Mr. Wong responds to my request that the Part 150 Steering Committee take up several Van Nuys Airport (VNY) matters including a nighttime helicopter curfew.
Mr. Wong says, "we have consulted with the City Attorney's Office and the FAA and concluded that their implementation would require extensive analysis to comply with provisions of the Airport Noise Capacity Act (ANCA) adopted by Congress in 1990." Mr. Wong goes on to state that, "It is doubtful that such measures would be approved and implemented within the five-year horizon of the Part 150 process."
This analysis from the City Attorney at LAWA appears to be somewhat at odds
with the helicopter curfew being proposed by City Attorney James Hahn.
According to a comment Mr. Hahn made in the Los Angeles Times on June 20,
2000, he says, "If all goes well, it [the curfew] could be done within the
year."
We are delighted that Mr. Wong is moving the Part 150 process forward, and ask that you consult with Mr. Hahn and other attorneys at LAWA and resolve what appears to be a disparity in the time it takes to implement a helicopter curfew.
Between 1995 and 1999, VNY experienced a 15.4% increase in helicopter operations. By 2004 it is projected that annual helicopter operations will increase by another 13.3%. Clearly the projected growth of helicopter operations at VNY is alarming and this calls for immediate action, including a curfew on nighttime helicopter operations.
We are pleased that Mr. Hahn has put forward his proposal and believe it should be seriously considered in the current Part 150 Study process. Please place the helicopter curfew item on the agenda for Committee action.
We also believe that the other items requested in my letter of April 20, 2000 need to be carefully examined by the committee, including:
1. Converting the "Fly Neighborly" program from a voluntary to a mandatory one with citations and fines for violations. This can be done via a Part 161 Study, and should be one of the principal recommendations of the Steering Committee.
2. Establishing a maximum daytime single event noise limit [SENEL] for jets with penalties. A single event noise maximum for Stage 2 aircraft was proposed by the BOAC prior to ANCA and is thus is grand fathered and can be implemented without delay and without a Part 161 Study.
3. Establish a nighttime curfew on all jets with emergency operations exempt. This can be done via a Part 161 Study, and should be another principal recommendation of the Committee.
4. The 12,500 lb. weight limit on air taxis and charters should also be carefully examined. The policy, regardless of whether it is an ordinance or simply a resolution, was approved by LAWA well before ANCA went into effect. It is therefore grand fathered, could be enforced immediately, and would have significant effect on the noise contour.
A number of the recommendations suggested in my letter of April 20th can be implemented promptly, certainly within the five year time frame of the Part 150 Study, and should become a major aspect of the current Part 150 Study effort.
Jet operations at VNY increased by 44.9% between 1995 and 1999. And by 2004 they are expected to increase by another 22.8%. Overall operations at VNY are expected to increase from 606,930 in 1999 to 685,398 in 2004, certainly every effort should be made to prepare a Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) that will effectively address this issue.
Of utmost concern is the potential delay in the Committee receiving base
noise exposure maps that reflect these significant increases. Mr. Wong
indicated that the base maps the Committee requested in our last meeting
would not be forthcoming until the FAA approves changes in the methodology
used by Landrum & Brown. It is vital that the Committee receive base maps
as soon as possible. It could take years for the FAA to approve changes in
INM methodology proposed by Landrum & Brown. LAWA has no difficulty
preparing similar base maps for submission to the County each quarter, and
for use in the State variance hearings. The present INM methodology is used
throughout the country and will provide adequate graphics that will show the
significant extent of the increases that are in store for VNY. We strongly
urge you to prepare the exposure maps requested by the Committee, showing
the CNEL contours for 2004. If necessary, mark them "tentative," but
please
prepare and release them without delay. To approve the Noise Compatibility
Program (NCP), without these crucial base maps would not be responsible. In
fact, it is virtually impossible to intelligently discuss abatement and
mitigation measures without these maps present.
Thank you for placing these items before the Steering Committee. We would appreciate your distributing this letter to all Committee members.
Cordially yours,
Gerald A. Silver President--Homeowners of Encino, Stop the Noise! Coalition
cc: Elected officials, homeowner associations
Helicopter page
150 Hearings page
Van Nuys Airport page