FAA, Port Authority to look at plane decibel level restrictions

ROSLYN HEIGHTS (WABC) -- Planes taking off and landing are a big issue for residents in New York who live near airports. And now, the federal government may be stepping in with federal grants.

Roslyn Heights is one neighborhood used to hearing the low-flying planes, and for years, the FAA and Port Authority said they were going to do something to help residents, whether it was altering flight paths or changing the decibel level allowed for planes.

Advocates hoping for those changes and now banking on increased momentum for action.

The Port Authority is now undertaking its own study on the noise levels, while on the federal level, 26 Congressmen and women have signed on to lower the national decibel-allowed level from 65 to 55.

Residents have environmental and health concerns, and if the FAA adopts the new policy, people would be able to access federal grants to help noise-proof their homes. But insulation isn't the only answer.

"The goal is not to get houses insulated," said Len Schaier, of QuietSkies.net. "The goal is to get the noise down so that insulation is not necessary."

Over the next year or to, it is expected that the FAA will conduct a public opinion survey of people who live near airports across the country. The Port Authority is also updating its contour maps.