Quigley Pressures FAA to Address O'Hare Noise Issue

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), pressured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta to commit to taking actions to protect residents and their property around O'Hare International Airport from aircraft noise in today's THUD Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.

In response, Rep. Quigley released the following statement:

"The unprecedented noise pollution facing our local communities is a serious problem that warrants urgent action from all levels. Today, I again pressured the FAA to explain why steps have not already been taken to help alleviate the noise issue. The FAA has the statutory authority to "relieve and protect the public health and welfare from aircraft noise' through "regulations to control and abate aircraft noise.' Yet this past December, more than 82,000 residents around O'Hare complained about the increase in noise and the FAA's own data shows that noise will increase dramatically when the O'Hare Modernization Program is completed. As an appropriator with direct oversight of the FAA, I made clear my commitment to make the FAA protect residents, their health and their property around O'Hare."

Rep. Quigley grilled Administrator Huerta on the increased number of noise complaints around O'Hare Airport since the beginning of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP), pushed for an update on the 65 DNL study, and urged the FAA to enact a more balanced use of the runways to spread out the impact of aircraft noise. In a second round of questioning, Rep. Quigley pressed Administrator Huerta for an update on the FAA's community involvement manual and implementation plan, which Rep. Quigley secured language for in the most recent omnibus. Rep. Quigley called out the FAA's lack of meaningful community education and outreach when completing major overhauls to airspace use, including OMP.O'Hare International Airport became a part of Illinois' Fifth Congressional District in January 2013. Since then, Rep. Quigley has met continuously with neighborhood organizations and aviation officials to discuss solutions to increased noise pollution resulting from the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). Recently, he and other Illinois representatives released a statement in response to the Chicago Department of Aviation's (CDA) plans to mitigate O'Hare noise after a previous letter was sent to the organization pushing them to address practical solutions to noise complaints. Rep. Quigley joined other members of the Quiet Skies Caucus in a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with recommendations for the FAA 2015 Reauthorization Act that would help address the harmful impacts of aircraft noise on communities across the country. In May, he secured language in the FY16 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill mandating the FAA develop short and long-term measures to mitigate excessive airplane noise experienced by local communities around O'Hare International Airport.

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