SFO Runway Noise: Speier Jumps in With Legislation

My take on Rep. Jackie Speier's townhall meeting on airport noise back in October 2018 is here.  In the interim 14 months we have been pursuing legal, small claims recourse in hopes of getting the City of SF's attention (you can read all about it using the SFO Airport link on the lower right hand side).  We will hear the City and the airport's latest defense on January 21st.  The parallel effort on governmental action occurs at the Airport Roundtable "Ground-based noise" subcommittee.  In my post about that meeting, I noted that we need a greater sense of urgency on the issue of engine back blast.  Right on cue, Jackie Speier has authored proposed legislation described by a member of our SFOrunwaynoise.com group who attended the last Airport Roundtable meeting like this:

• The most important point at this meeting was that Kathleen Wentworth (retired United Pilot working with Jackie Speier’s office) surprised us by announcing that Congresswoman Speier has introduced EIGHT pieces of legislation aimed at helping communities address AND CHANGE noise issues that affect them. Currently, curfews, flight paths, number of flights, etc. are all under the control of the FAA and there is no way for an impacted community to bring about change or force SFO or the FAA to negotiate policies that affect surrounding neighborhoods.

• Passage of any of these bills would be beneficial for all of us, as well as for the thousands of Americans across the country who are fighting similar issues with their airports. If passed, this legislation would give the public the ‘teeth’ to get something done. Please let Congresswoman Speier know that you appreciate her efforts on our behalf by contacting her office. While there are 8 bills, HR 5112, the LEAVE Act, specifically addresses GBN:

"As an airplane leaves from an airport, its takeoff generates significant amounts of ground based low-frequency noise and vibration impacting residents in the vicinity. While measurement, standards, and mitigation of airborne flight noise is well defined, low frequency noise and vibration caused by an airplane on the runway at high thrust levels accelerating for take-off is not yet established. The bill would lead to the establishment of standards and remedies related to ground-based noise (GBN).

If enacted, the bill would permit a state cause of action for GBN if a state has undertaken a study of GBN at an airport, determined the amount of GBN, and identified a level of substantial negative impact and any diminution in real property values caused by such GBN. Before a cause of action would be permissible:

a. the state must complete a study of ground-based noise at the airport in question
b. the state must set a limit for ground-based noise emanating from the airport
c. the airport would have to be shown to have exceeded that limit"

Rep. Speier and her colleague to our south, Anna Eshoo, held a press conference on Friday that the Daily Journal is reporting included these comments:

San Mateo County Supervisor David Pine said years of work by local officials about the problem have left them frustrated.  “We haven’t moved the needle,” Pine said. “The FAA cares very little about noise.”   Burlingame Councilman Ricardo Ortiz, who along with Goethals and Pine serves on the San Francisco International Airport Community Roundtable, said he welcomes Speier’s proposed legislation.  “We can recommend little changes,” Ortiz said of local officials — who he said don’t really have any power over airport traffic.

And in the "This Should Get Their Attention" file:

SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said of the proposed legislation that, “We are reviewing the impact of the proposals and look forward to working with Congresswoman Speier to appropriately address the issues.”

I will follow-up with more details as they come available, but this is clearly progress!  I'm looking forward to ensuring the judge is fully aware of this legislation since it buttresses our point about the continuing nuisance--a legal term that understates the problem.

Comments

[Cassandra]

Dec 26-27:

How about that airport booming all night long and throughout the morning. Noon now and still at it.

The third time my spouse woke up and got out of bed to glare at the airport: “I’m going to invite Jackie to a sleepover.”

[Cassandra]

Dec 30: 1 am.... WOW.

[Peter Garrison]

8:50 front door rattling w low-frequency booms.

[resident]

I think you meant Dec 31st 1am (last night). It was RIDICULOUS. This has to stop.

[Cassandra]

1:20 AM 1 booming, house-shaking back blast.
Again.
How about that one departure leave before 11?
How hard can that be?
Speier? Ortiz? Yankel?

[BillyGBob]

Based on SFO's flight tracking tool (https://webtrak.emsbk.com/sfo13), it was Cathay Pacific 873. It was supposed to leave at 10:50p, but got delayed a couple of hours.

[Cassandra]

Thanks. The wind was pretty high last night and they probably couldn’t use another runway – the aircraft must’ve been really heavy to get that many people that distance around the world...

[BillyGBob]

They used one of the 28s. If they'd used one of the 1s, it likely would have been much, much louder. The wind likely also contributed to the increased noise to the south as wind tends to push sound down towards the ground. It'd be interesting to see how wind patterns have evolved in the last 20 years or so...that could have a significant contribution to the changes in Bgame airport-related noise.

[Cassandra]

Well: at it again: booming 3 times 1-1:30. Regular roar and whine starting at daybreak.

[BringHighDensity]

You guys. Please move out of Burlingame. All we need to do is listen to you old farts who have nothing else to do but sit around and listen for airport noise coming from (that's right) an airport International in scope located within one mile of your cheaply made home. We will buy you some wireless headsets if you let us. Why not climb on top of your house and sit up there and watch the planes as they take off. Just be with it.

[Paloma Ave]

BrightHighDensity - You MOVE out of Burlingame you P.O.S. There, I said it.

[Cassandra]

Just trying to make our town a better place in which to live... Going to court, writing letters, working with airport and citizen groups and congress- not lot of time to spend on the roof.

Maybe we could put high density housing as a sound barrier next to the runways- you could be our human shield- take one for the team?

[Peter Garrison]

1-2 am.

[Echo the Oread]

@BringHighDensity Next thing you know they will be complaining about the noise of bay water crashing on the rocks. Read up guys: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/noises/201701/new-research-sound-sensitivity

[Joe]

Thanks, BringHighDensity. I'll take a half dozen of your magic wireless headsets that can cancel out sub-250 Hz sound. Let me know when you have them ready and I'll meet you at Il Piccolo to get them.

I did mention to Judge Mazzei that when I get my steady stream of damages awards from SF (as we continue to file and file) that I might start a kickstarter campaign to design such a headset, but it doesn't exist now. Buffoon.

[OK, Snowflake]

Burn

[Peter Garrison]

Next target is gas-powered leaf blowers: 16 million of them in California.

"A top-selling leaf blower, for example, operating for an hour matches the emissions of a Toyota Camry for over 1,100 miles," said Novato Mayor Pat Eklund.

I’ll trade one Cathay Pacific 1am departure for banning gas-powered leaf blowers in Burlingame...

Peter (one blowing right now during lunch) Garrison

[Barking Dog]

Aren't there already rules/laws in Burlingame that leaf blowers can only be used on certain days/certain hrs during the week? Pretty sure that's why my gardener switched days of the week he provided service to my house a few yrs back...

[Joe]

You guys can revive the leaf blower discussion here:

https://www.burlingamevoice.com/2012/01/leaf-blowers-part-2.html

I saw the same article Pete saw and thought the same thing.

[Bruce Dickinson]

NotVeryBrightandVeryDense 's comments seem to wreak of insecurity and jealousy. Just because you never got to live in Burlingame doesn't mean you need to take it out on people trying to make their community better! And don't older people have LESS sensitivity to noise!??! (kidding guys!).

Based on the voracious reading that Bruce Dickinson does, it seems like a lot of cities have taken noise abatement problem seriously, and proactively reduced it by working with their communities, but no, SFO instead of getting better, seems to have gone in the opposite direction! Wait, I thought we were the progressive anti-pollution (noise and otherwise) green city? THAT's the anomaly here.

Just another side-bar comment: I for one am glad that our elected Congressional representatives are working on stuff that actually matters, like airport noise externalities instead of that preposterous "Impeachment" of DJT which should be more aptly named "Gigantic waste of Time with Zero Chance of Success". Believe me, I am no fan of DJT, his enablers, and did not vote for him, but is this really what the House is focused on 10 months away from the election!!!??! And what about these Iran situation?!?.. Bruce Dickinson sees no one in the world, including our own enemies, defending Iran and that General, except for our congressional Democrats! Looks like the Trump Derangement Syndrome is clouding all rational thought. Get a grip people, and focus on stuff that you can actually influence the outcome of right now, like airport noise!

Folks, just wait until election time!!!