A group of local congressional leaders, including La Cañada's representative, Rep. Adam Schiff, have written a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration urging them to take action on helicopter noise.
Schiff is a co-sponsor of a bill that would require the to start regulating the noise, making it the first jurisdiction in the country to do it. The bill has not yet come up for a vote on the House floor, and according to the letter, the FAA has proposed further study of the issue.
The letter will be signed by Schiff, Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, as well as the state's two senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. The letter's authors stress that studying the issue is not a substitute for action.
"We would also like to reiterate our firm belief that while consultations and reporting requirements are an important step forward, they are no replacement for meaningful action by the FAA to address the legitimate noise concerns expressed by our constituents in the Los Angeles area," the letter reads.
The letter goes on to suggest that the issue of regulating helicopter noise has become bogged down in lengthy studies in the past, leading to no action being taken.
"While we understand the complexities involved in developing solutions to the problem of helicopter noise in Los Angeles, we note that previous efforts to address other air traffic-related noise concerns in the region were ultimately deferred as a result of repeated and costly studies. We strongly feel that FAA’s leadership must lead to meaningful action to reduce helicopter noise."
The bill was introduced last summer and has seen a little bit of public discussion: there was a forum on the issue held in Studio City in January, and the bill received a .
The bill would apply to all of L.A. County - it would exempt law enforcement, but all other helicopters would be subject to regulation.
The full letter can be read at right.
