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FAA Opens Public Comment Period on Noise Policy Review

05.08.2023 |

On May 1, 2023 in the Federal Register, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a “Request for Comments on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Review of the Civil Aviation Noise Policy, and Notice of Public Meeting”.

As part of FAA’s commitment to address aircraft noise, the Federal Register Notice (FRN) includes specific questions in 11 noise policy categories. To submit comments on a specific category to the FAA, the FRN requests that commenters identify the category number as listed below, to which a comment is submitted.

  1. Vehicle types (e.g., fixed wing aircraft, helicopters)
  2. Operations (e.g., arrivals, departures, training circuits)
  3. DNL (Day-Night Average Sound Level noise metric)
  4. Averaging (e.g., annual-average day)
  5. Decision-making noise metrics
  6. Communication
  7. NEPA/land use noise thresholds
  8. Noise thresholds using single-event or operational metrics
  9. Noise thresholds for low-frequency noise events
  10. Miscellaneous (other issues for FAA to consider)
  11. Literature Review

Get involved by sending comments on or before July 31, 2023, identified by Docket Number FAA–2023–0855, using any of the following four methods:

  1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov
  2. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation
    1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
    Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor
    Washington, DC 20590-0001
  3. In-person delivery at: Docket Operations in Room W12-140 (address above)
  4. Fax: (202) 493-2251

The FAA will hold four 2-hour virtual public meetings to present the FRN and to answer related questions. Since comments can only be submitted through one of the four methods listed above, the comments and questions taken during the meetings will not be included in the official comments. The virtual public meetings will be held at the following times:

  • Tuesday, May 16, 2023; 1 to 3 pm ET
  • Thursday, May 18, 2023; 6 to 8 pm ET
  • Tuesday, May 23, 2023; 9 to 11 pm ET
  • Thursday, May 25, 2023; 3 to 5 pm ET

Registration is not required to attend any of the meetings. To join one of the meetings, go to https://www.faa.gov/noisepolicyreview prior to the start of the meeting and participate in a meeting by Zoom or watch live stream through the FAA’s YouTube channel. The meetings will be recorded so anyone can review the meetings on YouTube after the meeting.