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The people of Delaware County know the value of peace and quiet. Yet with the expansion of the Blue Route, and a constant stream of new housing developments and shopping centers popping up on nearly every open strip of land, this peace and quiet is slowly being compromised. The last place we need further encroachment is overhead – and yet that is exactly what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to do. Outlined in their Airspace Redesign Project, the FAA sets forth a plan to reroute flight paths into the Philadelphia Airport directly over Delaware County, resulting in an increased noise level of as much as 925 percent in some towns.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the FAA in conjunction with this plan fails to consider several crucial factors that will seriously impact daily life in Delaware County. Most critical is the drastic increased noise level that will impact Ridley Township, Swarthmore and Nether Providence most severely. The information presented by the FAA as to number, altitude and direct path of flights over these and surrounding communities is inconclusive. Additionally, by rerouting flights over densely populated Delaware County, rather than the Delaware River, the FAA fails to consider the risk any type of aircraft malfunction would present to thousands more citizens. Lastly, the airspace redesign would have a devastating impact on the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, the largest remaining wetlands refuge in Pennsylvania and home to hundreds of species of birds.
I stand with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Delaware County Council and the thousands of concerned residents who will be affected by this change in expressing my serious reservations for this project. I submitted my concerns to the FAA during their public comment period and I have established communication with the Administrator and local officials. I have brought Deputy Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino and House Aviation Subcomittee Chairman Rep. John Mica to tour the communities that will be affected by the redesign and to hear the serious concerns of local residents and community leaders. I have also held public forums to discuss potential environmental impacts and detriments to the quality of life for residents the redesign will have on Delaware County.
I urge the FAA to look for alternatives and to work closely with County residents to find a solution to this problem that will ensure we maintain some much needed peace and quiet. |
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