Press Releases

GARDEN CITY, NY – U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice and New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt a lower threshold of acceptable airplane noise in order to address health, environmental and quality-of-life concerns in communities near major airports. The FAA uses the Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) as the metric for quantifying exposure to aviation noise, and has set 65 decibels as the DNL value at which federal funding will be available for soundproofing or other noise mitigation. In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta, Rice and Kaminsky noted that because the DNL represents average noise levels over a 24-hour period, it does not account for increased concentrations of daytime flights if there is a comparable decrease in the number of nighttime flights. Rice and Kaminsky, who represent many Nassau County communities that lie directly beneath the pathways of departing and approaching flights from John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) airports, argued that the 65 decibel DNL threshold relies on outdated research that does not adequately consider the comprehensive effects of excessive exposure to high noise levels on individuals, and urged the FAA to lower the acceptable DNL threshold to 55 decibels.

“Excessive airplane noise is a serious problem that directly affects the health and quality of life of many residents in our district, and it’s a problem that’s only getting worse,” said Representative Kathleen Rice. “We can and must take action to provide relief to residents and business owners who are constantly exposed to high levels of airplane noise, and we’re urging the FAA to take the first step by replacing the outdated DNL threshold with a new threshold of 55 decibels.”

"Too many of my constituents have told me that their health and quality of life is significantly diminished by exposure to high noise levels of constant airplane traffic over their homes and businesses,” said New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky.  “The DNL threshold is based on antiquated data, and quite frankly, all one has to do is spend 5 minutes in Malverne or several other parts of my district to know that that this noise is excessive. I urge the FAA to listen to the concerns of our constituents and take immediate steps to adopt a lower DNL threshold."

The full text of the letter is available here.

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