FAA to debut helicopter noise-complaint system
The Federal Aviation Administration is launching a helicopter noise-complaint system for Los Angeles County, so residents can file a complaint by calling a local phone number or submitting it online.
To file a complaint by phone, call (424) 348-HELI (4354) or file online at www.heli-noise-la.com.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who along with Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, have fought for years to reduce helicopter noise in the area, said he was happy with the latest development.
Feinstein and Schiff, with the support of L.A. Congressional delegation members, successfully included language in the fiscal year 2014 omnibus spending bill that required the FAA to begin regulations regarding helicopter noise over Los Angeles within a year of its enactment, unless the agency meets six voluntary criteria regarding helicopter noise, including the creation of a noise-complaint system.
The one-year deadline to meet voluntary requirements expired in the middle of January, Schiff said, and the Secretary of Transportation has yet to make a final determination on whether enough voluntary progress has been made to avoid regulatory action.
“I am pleased to see the FAA put a noise-complaint system into operation, and especially one that will allow residents to research in near-real time which helicopters are part of the problem. Implementation of a noise-complaint system is the first concrete result of a now years-long process of collaboration between the FAA, homeowners and helicopter operators,” Schiff said in a statement.
“But, while this is a step in the right direction, we are still waiting for a final determination from the Secretary of Transportation on the progress of all six voluntary measures set out in the FAA's initial report on helicopter noise,” Schiff added. “Much more progress needs to be made and it is my hope that this noise-complaint system — along with the data it collects — will provide us the necessary information to better identify the bad actors and bring about noise relief to all Los Angeles residents.”
Source: GLENDALE NEWS PRESS