Introduction of A Bill to Direct the Secretary of Transportation to Submit A Report on Helicopter and Rotocraft Noise in the District of Columbia
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, on April 7th, I introduced a bill that would direct the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report to Congress containing recommendations on how to reduce helicopter noise in the District of Columbia. Recommendations would include altitude, number of flights, flight paths, time of day of flights, types of aircraft, operating procedures and pilot training. The Secretary would be required to consult with any federal agencies or departments that fly helicopters in D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department, any medical helicopter operators that routinely fly in D.C. and any other operator that routinely flies a helicopter in D.C. The report would be due to Congress no later than 180 days after the enactment of the bill.
Even though D.C. has the most restricted airspace in the country, I hear from D.C. residents almost daily about the negative impact of helicopter noise on their lives. The noise can harm health and quality of life, and helicopters can even harm the structural integrity of homes. While I recognize the need for helicopters in D.C., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Congress must do more to mitigate the harm to D.C. residents.
In 2019, I led members of the National Capital Region (NCR) in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study helicopter noise in the NCR. In 2021, GAO issued its report. GAO found that there had been nearly 90,000 helicopter flights in the NCR from 2017 to 2019. GAO recommended that the FAA develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the NCR. The FAA has indicated it is establishing such a mechanism. In February, I introduced the Reducing Helicopter Noise in the District of Columbia Act, which would require all helicopters in D.C. to fly at the maximum altitude permitted by the FAA in D.C., with limited exceptions.
I urge my colleagues to support both bills.
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