Politics & Government

Zeldin Sounds New Battle Cry In East End Helicopter Noise Fight

New FAA action to shift overhead noise from Queens is "a slap in the face to the North Fork . . .which has sought similar relief for years."

(Patch file photo.)

EAST END, NY — As the busy summer season is set to take off on the East End, Rep. Lee Zeldin has sounded a new battle cry over helicopter noise, sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration demanding action.

Zeldin sent the letter to the FAA's Acting Regional Administrator Maria Stanco "regarding her failure to comply with his legislation that was signed into law, requiring a public hearing in the impacted area, and to implement an all water route ahead of peak season," he said.

The letter said it has been more than six months since the FAA's Reauthorization Act of 2018 was signed by President Donald Trump.

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"It is urgent that the FAA take immediate action to address aircraft noise on the North Fork of Long Island as another noisy high season approaches. On behalf of a community surrounded by water, it should not be complicated for your agency to take swift action to implement true all water routes to take traffic away from populated areas impacted by noise," Zeldin said. "Public 'workshops' held by the FAA on Long Island in November were also woefully inadequate and did not comply with section 182 of the aforementioned law, which called for public hearings in impacted communities," he wrote.

The FAA, Zeldin said, must comply with the requirement to hold "real public hearings" in the communities impacted by the North Shore Route.

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"The 'workshops' held on Long Island last year did not meet the clear mandates of the law and insulted my constituents," Zeldin said. "The use of the questionable, insufficient format not only silenced the voices of the public, but was perceived as a clear attempt by the FAA to diminish the serious impact of the NSR and the negative quality of life impacts that resulted to the North Fork. In order to comply with the law and to truly be held accountable, the FAA must hold real public hearings on the North Fork immediately. "

In addition, Zeldin said, "as also required by law, the FAA must work on the implementation of an all water route over the Atlantic Ocean to alleviate the unfair, unsafe, and unhealthy impact of the needlessly flawed North Shore Helicopter Route on impacted communities in my district."

An announcement earlier in May that the FAA had extended the use of alternative noise relief routes that shift traffic away from impacted neighborhoods in northeast Queens "is great news for suffering residents in those areas but a slap in the face to the North Fork of Long Island which has sought similar relief for years," he said. "Actions by your agency to provide relief to select communities impacted by the deeply flawed North Shore Route while ignoring the pleas of others is unfair and inequitable."

The residents of the North Fork, Zeldin said, do not live near any helipads or airports and receive only the negative impact of noise and none of the economic benefits associated with the air traffic that greatly increases over their homes during the summer high season, the congressman added.

"If the FAA is willing and able to provide noise relief to New York City communities suffering from the NSR through regulatory action, it must swiftly and immediately take the same action for North Fork residents," he said.

The ultimate solution is the implementation of a real all water route over the Atlantic for aircraft bound for the East End of Long Island, Zeldin said.

"Delays and excuses from the FAA are not acceptable. Your agency was able to create the unfair and problematic North Shore Helicopter Route in 2012 and used questionable 'emergency authority' to extend it without any notice or consultation in the summer of 2016 yet has still failed to deliver on a real Atlantic Ocean Route. Surely the same regulatory power used to create and perpetuate a flawed and unfair mandatory aircraft route can also be used to institute a real solution for residents in my district that are now bracing for another high season that will be ruined by aircraft noise and FAA inaction. The FAA must act swiftly to meet the requirements of the law and take action on an all water route over the Atlantic Ocean," Zeldin s

Jim Peters, media representative for the FAA, responded to a request for comment by Patch by saying, "We will review the letter, which we received on Tuesday, and then respond to U.S. Representative Zeldin directly."

Recently, too, plans for a new, luxury helicopter shuttle to the Hamptons have many on the East End — who have been crying out for an end to helicopter noise for years — seeing red.

According to a Wheels Up release, passengers can embark at 34th St. in Manhattan, landing 40 minutes later at East Hampton Airport on a 6 to 8 passenger dual-engine "safety vetted and verified helicopter."

Wheels Up, a membership-based private aviation company co-founded by CEO Kenny Dichter, in partnership with Heliflite, announced this week that it is about to kick its first-ever Hamptons summer helicopter shuttle, running mid-June through August.

Flights will take off every Friday at 3 p.m. at a cost of $995 per seat, per leg, and can be booked by phone or on the Wheels Up App, available through the Apple App Store or Google Play, the release said.

Wheels Up said it acts as agent for Wheels Up members and is not the operator of the program aircraft; FAA licensed, and DOT registered air carriers participating in the program exercise full operational control of all flights offered by or arranged through Wheels Up.

Created and led by Dichter, Wheels Up provides core members and business members with guaranteed access up to 365 days a year to a members-only fleet of King Air 350i, Citation Excel/XLS and Citation X aircraft, the release said.

After the release was circulated, East End elected officials and residents who have been working tirelessly for years to curb helicopter noise on the East End reacted with dismay.

"This is terrible, terrible, dreadful news. The only question is whether they will fly the northern route or the southerly route over the ocean. It is clear that, at an estimated flight time of 40 minutes, they do not contemplate the prospect of flying around Plum Island. I know that East Hampton knows that the growth of these types of services erode not only the quality of life for our residents but, the quality of life of its own. It is time to detonate the A-bomb — figuratively as it had been referred to by some East Hampton residents — and close that damn airport down," Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said.

Southold Town Councilman Bob Ghosio, who also acts as the liaison to the town's helicopter steering committee, also spoke out: "What's left to say? Another Memorial Day approaches and no relief from the Federal Aviation Administration concerning the noise. At $2,000 a seat, round trip, we can only hope there aren't many users. But I doubt it. The FAA still hasn't had the hearings that the President signed into law and that's disheartening. So like the springtime rituals of nature around us, so continues the annual springtime fight against the flock of helicopters about to descend on the east end. The end of our wintertime peace."

Teresa McCaskie, chair of the Southold Town helicopter steering committee, said safety concerns were an issue; she asked what "safety vetted" entailed.

A request for comment to Wheels Up on both the meaning of the words "safety vetted," and whether or not the helicopters would be taking the southerly route over the Atlantic Ocean or the northerly route, was not immediately returned.

"With this newly joined partnership, it's imperative for the public to be aware that only an estimated 80% of all helicopters flying currently in the United States are equipped with crash restaurant fuel systems on their aircraft," McCaskie said. "Clearly that 'safest' route is out over the Atlantic Ocean where passengers will get sweeping views of Dune Road. The airport is located under three miles off the Atlantic. The North Shore helicopter route, which permits pilots to 'transition' over hundreds of residents homes, schools, the Orient causeway and the Northville oil storage tanks, need to stop immediately. Residents' safety on land must take priority immediately," McCaskie said.

In November, braving bitter winds and cold, a crowd of elected officials and residents turned out at Iron Pier Beach in Jamesport to send a loud and clear message to the FAA: They wanted a public hearing on helicopter noise as required by law — a hearing that never took place.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, who convened the event, kicked off the gathering by blasting a recent forum held by the FAA in Riverhead, which, she said, was a "farce. . .a children's show and tell."

Jens-Smith spoke out against the helicopter noise that disrupts residents' quality life and also poses danger, as helicopters and sea planes fly over fuel storage tanks at Northville.
"For too long residents have had their quality of life damaged by the constant helicopter fly overs. These helicopters travel the same routes when navigating over our town resulting in the aircraft passing over people's homes every five minutes. We need a mandated all water route to bring relief to our residents," Jens-Smith said.

And, she added that the FAA should "stop pitting the North Fork and South Forks against each other."

The FAA, she added, has been "derelict in its duties" to residents and elected officials are demanding a public hearing be held.

But when asked for a response to the press conference, an FAA spokesman said a public forum was held at Vaughn College in East Elmhurst, Queens, for people who couldn't attend an earlier Nov. 15 meeting due to bad weather.

New York State Senator Ken LaValle, referencing the turbulent Long Island Sound behind him, said the raging waters reflected the "anger" among elected officials and constituents alike.
New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele said it was heartening to see both South and North Fork leaders gathered together to address the issue.

"This is nothing new," he said, adding that the woes with the FAA go back years and added that a public hearing was required by law. Thiele called for an all water route on both Forks as well as "reasonable restrictions" on the East Hampton airport.

"We are unified," he said, adding that the five East End towns need to keep working together to demand the hearing. "We're not going to stop until we get the change we need."

Suffolk County Legislators Al Krupski and Bridget Fleming also spoke. Of the Riverhead FAA meeting, Krupski said, "It was just insulting."

Fleming said while she recognized many faces, there were also many that were no longer present, families who'd moved away after being so deeply impacted by helicopter noise they'd left the community.

"The FAA didn't have a hearing because they didn't want to hear that we are united," she said. "We want an all water route and we want to actually be heard. Let's keep fighting the good fight until we reach a solution."

Unlike city residents who may be used to helicopter noise, on the bucolic East End that noise shatters quality of life, Ghosio added. "To us, this is a life-altering problem in the summer. It's a barrage. It changes the way you are living your life."

He urged the FAA to take away the "loopholes" of transitions by pilots.

Mark Woolley, speaking for Rep. Lee Zeldin, who was in Washington, DC, was met by angry cries from residents, asking, "Why can't you get it done?"

"This is far from done," Woolley said.

Riverhead Town Councilwoman Catherine Kent said she wanted to send a clear message to the FAA: "We will be relentless," until change takes place or the "East Hampton Airport is shut down. Our quality of life should not take a nosedive" become some can afford to fly to the East End from New York City, she said.

Riverhead Town Councilman Tim Hubbard suggested cutting funding to the FAA. "Let's hit them where it hurts," he said.

And, added Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, the routes should not be at the discretion of pilots. If helicopters continue to fly over the Northville oil tanks, in the event o an accident, tragedy could ensue.

Other lawmakers, not present, sent comments.

"The FAA's current implementation of Sec. 182 is insufficient and has not delivered a hearing for impacted communities to publicly provide their testimony to the FAA in an open forum," said Senator Chuck Schumer. "It is my strong feeling that the FAA must comply with the law as written and hold a public hearing before an FAA panel that adequately allows the impacted communities and other stakeholders to submit meaningful testimony."

Zeldin added: "From the North Shore Helicopter Route's planning to its continued use, the FAA has flat out ignored the residents directly affected, and, although the FAA is now forced to listen as enshrined in federal law, these 'workshops' have given Long Islanders a bad case of deja vu. These 'workshops' failed to comply with the public hearing mandated in my legislative proposal which is now law, and many strongly believe they were seemingly formatted to stifle the true negative impact of this route."

Despite a vocal outcry from elected officials and residents alike over"workshops" held by the FAA on helicopter noise and assessment of the North Shore Helicopter Route, instead of public hearings lawmakers said were required by law — so far, the FAA has never held public hearings.

When asked for comment last year, the FAA said: "We are reviewing the request."

The hearings were meant to follow a victory earlier in October after Trump signed into law a proposal by Zeldin that requires the FAA to reassess the North Shore Route and pursue an all-water route over the Atlantic Ocean.

Upon Congressional passage of the legislation, local lawmakers applauded the news.

"The ever increasing number of helicopters over Southold has devastated the quality of life for our residents. Southold has become a doormat to the helicopter operators as they head to and from the Hamptons," Russell said. "Rep. Zeldin's amendment is a common sense approach that will provide immediate relief to our community. I urge the FAA to follow the Congressman's lead and help him restore the quality of life of the people of Southold."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


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