Flight Paths — File 201301

Sen. Warren introduces bill to give communities voice in flight-paths Updated: Apr 13, 2016 - 7:28 PM File photo/Logan Airport 150 BOSTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill to give communities a voice in flight-path decision process, citing the complaints near Logan, which FOX25 has previously reported on. "There has been a significant increase in airplane noise in communities near Logan Airport, and local residents deserve to have their concerns heard," said Warren. "This bill will provide communities in Massachusetts and other affected states with a real voice in the FAA's decision-making process, and will require the FAA to reconsider flight routes that are exposing residents to unacceptable levels of noise." In December, FOX25 interviewed several people in Milton who have said that the noise in affecting their quality of life. State Representative Walter Timilty grew up in Milton and says it has never been like this.

"People are going to move, people are talking about putting their houses up for sale," Timilty said. Massport received 11,000 noise complaints as of September 2015, and 17 percent of those are from Milton. Since the new flight patterns went into effect, noise complaints have more than doubled in towns like Hull, Belmont, Arlington, and Winchester. The new bill would establish new procedures requiring the FAA to reconsider existing flight routes that are exposing residents to unacceptably high levels of aircraft flight noise. The bill was also filed as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016, which is currently being debated on the Senate floor. Additionally, Senator Warren filed an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System's impact on the human environment in densely populated areas. Boston is not the only city dealing with these issues. Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and others have filed lawsuits against the FAA because of noise issues relating to the new GPS system. http://www.myfoxboston.com/news/sen-warren-introduces-bill-to-give-communities-voice-in- flight-paths/215693856