BCW Continues to Advocate for Objective Data About Noise at Westchester County Airport as Gillibrand, Schumer, Lowey Call on the FAA to Hold Public Meeting

The Business Council of Westchester continues to advocate for more objective data about noise at Westchester County Airport, as this week U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey called on the Federal Aviation Administration to hold a public meeting in the county.

This follows County Executive George Latimer’s request for a public meeting during his announcement of new noise monitoring sites throughout the county.

John Ravitz, executive vice president of The Business Council of Westchester and founder of the BCW Coalition for Westchester Airport, said the business community welcomes input from the FAA, and looks forward to reviewing data from from the county’s latest remote noise monitoring study.

The Coalition hopes this data will help to better analyze the facts of the situation, especially in light of the Coalition’s finding that only a handful of households have logged thousands of noise complaints in a single month.

“We support the gathering of objective data, taking the issue of noise out of the realm of anecdotal evidence and making it something we can better quantify and understand. The airport’s neighbors need to be respected, and the Coalition favors reasonable approaches to mitigating noise issues,” Ravitz said. “However, inviting the FAA cannot be used as a delay tactic. The airport is a key element in the county’s transportation infrastructure and we must enhance — not expand — the airport in order to protect the traveling, business and neighboring communities.”

Gillibrand, Schumer, and Lowey urged the FAA to listen to residents’ input directly to develop solutions that help reduce noise pollution.

“In keeping with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, we urge the FAA to hold a public meeting to hear how Westchester residents are being negatively impacted by the noise,” they wrote to Evelyn Martinez, the manager of the FAA Airports District Office.

In a press release, the three offered statements, as did County Executive George Latimer:

“We are focused on working with the FAA and the public to find the best solution so we can utilize the airport, while being considerate of the people who live near the airport,” Latimer said.