Agencies to monitor Nassau jet noise

Federal and local airport officials have started working together to control jet noise in communities near Kennedy Airport, starting with monitoring the frequency of low-flying planes at night.

Federal Aviation Administration and Port Authority officials said Monday night that they are creating a memorandum of understanding to detail each agency's responsibilities for noise abatement efforts.

Nassau County residents have complained about a confusing network of noise hotline numbers and a lack of information about which agency is responsible for various types of noise concerns.

More than a dozen representatives of the FAA, Port Authority and Aviation Development Council, an aviation industry organization, attended Monday's meeting of the Town-Village Aircraft Safety Noise Abatement Committee. The group represents nearly 145,000 people living in 13 communities in Hempstead and North Hempstead towns.

Members of the 40-year-old coalition have called for more equitable distribution of flights onto the airport's eight runway approaches, a ban on low-flying planes and a reduction in late-night flights.

Kendall W. Lampkin, executive director of the committee, said Tuesday that creating and enforcing a noise abatement plan should be a priority.

"Right now, it is the back-burner item," Lampkin said, pointing out that the two agencies have been working on the agreement for three months.

FAA officials said they would start monitoring the altitude of nighttime flights on Oct. 31. And they will look into having a single toll-free phone number for people to communicate with both agencies.

"Our commitment is to monitor that [nighttime flights] and provide you people with some relief," said Michael Porchello, operations manager of the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control, which oversees air traffic control in the area. "We have to start someplace and we are going to start with the midnight shift."

Residents at the meeting complained about the late-night jet noise. "I feel like it is getting worse," said Sharona Weinberg of Woodmere. "I feel like I live on a tarmac."

FAA officials reiterated that runway usage is determined by many factors, including wind direction, weather conditions, construction projects and noise abatement procedures.

"We don't like noise any more than anyone else," said FAA spokesman Jim Peters, who lives in Lynbrook, a community often affected by airport noise.