BILL NUMBER: S7305

SPONSOR: GAUGHRAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to direct the department of environmental conservation, with the
assistance of the department of transportation, to conduct a study on
the environmental and human health impacts of John F. Kennedy interna-
tional airport and LaGuardia airport

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Transporta-
tion to conduct a study describing the environmental, noise, and human
health impacts caused by runways, including new runways, and air traffic
at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill directs the Department of Environmental Conserva-
tion (DEC), with the assistance of the Department of Transportation, to
              

conduct a study describing the environmental, noise, and human health
impacts caused by runways, including new runways, and air traffic at
John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. The bill
mandates the monitoring of noise levels experienced in 2021 and 2022 and
that particular attention be paid to the impact of pollution and emis-
sions on the life, health, and property values of residents living adja-
cent to flight paths at such airports. DEC is required to report its
findings to the Governor and Legislature by March 31, 2023.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties and parts of New York City
are experiencing a declining quality of life due to noise pollution,
environmental impacts, and other possible ill effects from air traffic
patterns around JFK and LaGuardia airports. Noise complaints in affected
neighborhoods have skyrocketed as a result of changing air traffic
patterns and too many planes flying on low approaches to these airports.
This has led to a near-constant and deafening noise level that studies
have shown is frequently above the day-night average noise level (DNL)
of 65 decibels (dB), which is considered a significant aviation noise
threshold. Additionally, decibel levels are being averaged per day and
that does not truly characterize the excessive noise that the many
planes exceeding those threshold levels are making on a daily basis. The
averaging is deceptive these measurement distortions should be addressed
in the study.

This bill will mandate that New York State study the environmental and
health effects of flight patterns associated with the use of certain
runways, particularly at night, at these airports.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.8283 of 2018 - En Con Committee

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

There could be some financial cost to the agencies tasked with conduct-
ing these studies.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.