Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel reiterated his continuing strong support for Rockland County and the other localities fighting the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) deeply flawed airspace redesign plan. Lawyers for the County and 11 other municipalities from several states argued that the FAA did not follow a number of its own rules and regulations when it approved an air traffic plan for the Northeast in 2007.

The case appeared this week before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the second highest court in the country. The average time from argument to termination for cases argued is approximately 85 days. The Court attempts to dispose of all the cases argued during a term before the beginning of the next term.

The 11-term Congressman remains committed to fight the FAA’s misguided proposal and will continue to monitor the case in federal courts. He supports the argument made by lawyers on behalf of the municipalities that the FAA had failed to study the impact on 64 counties of the region and the hundreds of parks and violated their own rules by forging ahead with faulty data on noise and traffic affects. “This plan was wrong from the start, in its design and its communication. It is just simply wrong. It is time to correct that error once and for all,” added Rep. Engel.

The FAA's plan would redirect up to 400 additional flights per day over Rockland County at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet. Residents are concerned about safety issues, as well as higher pollution levels and decreased property values. In 2007, Congressman Engel hosted a forum in Rockland County, which drew 1,200 residents, to learn more details of the Redesign Plan.

“We still do not know how loud 400 planes per day are going to be. We do not know how much additional pollution will be falling from the skies above Rockland. We don’t know how this will affect the disproportionate rate of childhood asthma in my district, or the high levels of cancer,” said Rep. Engel.

Rep. Engel said, “During each step of this process, the FAA has made it difficult, if not impossible, to get accurate information on the effects of the airspace redesign – beginning by not properly notifying the elected representatives and people of Rockland that the FAA Airspace Redesign Plan was actually being considered in the first place. This lawsuit was the only recourse for Rockland County and the other localities and I am hopeful a positive outcome will be forthcoming.”

Rep. Engel recently sent a letter to President Obama and Transportation Secretary Lahood urging them to delay any decisions regarding implementation of the redesign. Last week, Secretary Lahood came to Rep. Engel’s office and he reiterated to the Secretary his opposition to the redesign.

“If the FAA truly wants to correct the time delays and other issues plaguing the airlines and travelers, they will sit at the table with the air traffic controllers and the people that truly understand the problems on the ground and craft a new, workable plan to give New York’s airspace and airports the necessary changes,” added Rep. Engel. “Imagine you are like the 300,000 residents of Rockland, sitting in your living room trying to spend time with your family as planes fly overhead every two minutes. If this plan goes forward, I fear for all quiet neighborhoods across the country.”