Warren, Markey Renew Push to Tackle Air Traffic Noise and Pollution in Boston Communities
Boston, MA – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) reintroduced the Air Traffic Noise and Pollution Expert Consensus Act directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the various health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution.
In 2013, the FAA implemented more concentrated and efficient flight paths, which resulted in a surge of noise and pollution for communities near Boston Logan International Airport. In 2022, Massachusetts residents submitted more than 15 times the number of noise disturbance complaints than were filed in 2013. This bill directs the FAA and National Academies to convene a committee of experts to issue a report on the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution.
Senators Warren and Markey initially introduced the Air Traffic Noise and Pollution Expert Consensus Act in 2019. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives earlier this year.
“Living near a major airport shouldn’t mean higher risk to your health,” said Senator Warren. “This bill will help us understand the potential dangers of long-term exposure to air traffic noise and pollution so we can protect Massachusetts residents.”
“Communities across our nation are affected by noise and pollution from air traffic. Industry and advocates alike need more information about the health impacts of this pollution to help us take action to address it. The Air Traffic Noise and Pollution Expert Consensus Act will highlight the critical information needed to understand and tackle the concerns of affected communities in Massachusetts and beyond,” said Senator Markey.
Senator Warren has led the fight to have Massachusetts residents’ voices heard on the FAA’s flight path decisions:
- In 2019, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Air Traffic Noise and Pollution Expert Consensus Act to examine and report on the various health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution.
- In July 2016, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Michael Capuano, Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), and Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), sent a letter calling on the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study about the effects of air traffic noise and pollution on human health. The letter noted the recent significant spikes in the number of noise complaints logged by the Massachusetts Port Authority, as well at airports around the country.
- In April 2016, Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced the FAA Community Accountability Act to give local communities a voice in the FAA’s decision-making process for flight paths.
- In 2016, Senator Elizabeth Warren filed an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act requiring the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System's impact on the human environment in densely populated areas.
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