Rep. Zeldin Opposes Four Year Extension of North Shore Route; FAA Administrator Needs To Be Replaced For Ignoring Congress and Concerned Public if True Solution Isn't Secured Immediately

Statement

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Vice Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, released the following statement in response to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) decision to extend the North Shore Route for four years:

"The FAA's announcement that they will be extending the North Shore route for four years is an unacceptable example of incompetence and arrogance on the part of faceless, unelected and unaccountable federal bureaucrats. This decision violates the Administrative Procedures Act, a federal law that requires transparency and a public comment period on any major regulatory decisions. The agency's written explanation for this extension, including the justification for its lack of public comment or notice, reaches a new level of tone-deafness, when citing "good cause for immediate adoption without prior notice'. This is the unresponsive bureaucracy at it's worst.

After repeated follow up from myself, my office, the House Subcommittee on Aviation, other elected officials, and countless concerned citizens on the East End, the FAA has chosen to go radio silent and release this directive in secret as if the American public is the enemy. In October of last year, I clearly stated to FAA Administrator Huerta that the North Shore route should be extended for no longer than one year, with an extensive strengthening of altitude requirements and enforcement of flight standards, and a true all water route over the Atlantic Ocean as the permanent solution. The FAA Administrator should immediately reconsider this decision, and if he is unwilling to respond to Congress, or to the concerns of the people whom we were elected to represent, then he should resign or be replaced. I will continue working to protect residents of the East End whose quality of life is severely impacted by aircraft noise. I hope that New York Senators Schumer and Gillibrand will join me in calling on the FAA to put in place a more permanent fix such as the South Shore all water route."

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