Hoboken to file lawsuit against FAA calling for more helicopter oversight
HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- Hoboken is taking action to stop what city leaders call dangerous and disruptive helicopter activity.
The mayor said the city will sue the FAA to try to prevent tourism helicopters from coming close to its buildings.
Sightseeing choppers often head north over the Hudson River and circle back south.
Many in the city of Hoboken have had enough of the rattle of chopper blades.
"We're always curious, too. We're like is there another helicopter after another one? Why are there so many all the time?" One resident said.
"Enough is enough. Our residents should not have to bear the constant noise, air pollution, and safety risks of unnecessary helicopter tourism," Mayor Ravi Bhalla said. "These are not essential flights. They're luxuries that come at too high a cost to the health, safety, and peace of our communities. The FAA has failed us and must be held accountable."
In April, one of those helicopters crashed in the Hudson River near Jersey City, killing 6 people on board, including a family of five tourists.
It happened 150 feet offshore, which has sent shock waves through activists with an organization called 'Stop The Chop.'
"It's un-livable we cannot get any peace in our houses, we cannot get any peace on beautiful days like today, when all you hear everywhere is helicopters, whether on the waterfront or back in your home," another resident said.
Hoboken says the agency isn't providing the oversight to protect people in Hoboken from low-flying, non-essential helicopters.
In addition to being disruptive, the city said that "low-flying helicopters emit hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide per hour, contributing to climate change and polluting densely populated areas. They also generate persistent noise that has significantly reduced the quality of life for Hoboken residents."
The County Executive has been working for a couple of years to reduce the sound of choppers roaring overhead and has talked to the company running tours out of Kearney, New Jersey, hoping to resolve the issue through negotiations.
This is just not a quality of life issue, it's a public safety issue, we do not want a helicopter crashing and killing residents of the city of Hoboken," Bhalla said.
"I had a phone call this morning and we believe that we got some concessions from the helicopter provider. The proof will be in the pudding though," County Executive Craig Guy said.
HUDSON County Executive
A flight tracker website followed a chopper that was at an 800-foot altitude, going over the park, which many fly along the same corridor.
It makes living, working, and relaxing noisier than many expect.
The FAA said it does not comment on pending litigation.
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