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Fairechild's Bill of Rights

A new Bill in Congress called HR 2115 is packed with provisions for the FAA, the airlines, and airports.

It is a $59 billion bill that doesn't do the job.

And hidden amongst its 174 pages is a section about airport expansion that essentially prevents the public and the Environmental Protection Agency from objecting for reasons of environmental impact.

For years, the airlines have been battling with residents living near airports over existing Clean Air and Clean Water laws, and now there is a sneaky new scheme -- a legislative ploy to kill all environmental opposition.

SNEAKY

HR 2115 proposes that, should an airport now wish to expand, it can exempt itself from public scrutiny by stating it doesn't think the proposed project merits it.

This ridiculous double speak lets the wolf sneak into the hen house.

It is obvious that the noise and jet soot from airports impacts the quality of life for residents living within many miles. HR 2115 effectively nullifies decades of hard-won environmental protections.

For people who have become chemically sensitive, this can be a matter of life or death.

BLACKMAIL

If passed, HR 2115 can also hold airports hostage by refusing funding to those that do not want to expand due to environmental concerns. I honestly don't know how we can fight this monster -- the legislature is so wrapped up with the airlines.

I have been writing about the plight of residents living near airports since my 1992 book Jet Smart. Jet Smart became Jet Smarter in 1999, and the 2nd edition of Jet Smarter will be hot off the press later this month.

Here is an excerpt from the chapter on airport noise and soot:

AIRPORT NOISE: Excerpted from Jet Smarter

"In 2001, residents living near Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, won a court victory at the European Court of Human Rights. Now all flights in and out of Heathrow are curtailed between 11:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. -- so nearby residents can have at least a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

"In the U.S., a study was conducted on children living near airports and found they had excessive health problems and learning disabilities. Both the noise of repeated takeoffs and landings and the black toxic soot emitted from jet engines were cited as damaging the children's delicate ears and lungs.

"After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, some environmental rights, including the right to less noise, have been dismissed by governments as less important than larger security issues. For example, residents near Washington's Reagan Airport lost their right to some peace and quiet when the airport reopened. The government decided that flight paths would now go over populated areas because the river approach, formerly used to mitigate noise, took planes closer to federal buildings.

"In this context, Senator George Allen of Virginia told residents who would now have to live with the increased airplane noise to think of the airplane noise as the 'sound of freedom.'

"Residents near airports may not all be so patriotic about aircraft noise-it's the kind of thing that can make you feel crazy.

"All around the world people who live near airports have been organizing against expansion of their airports, since larger airports with more runways worsens their problems.

"The airlines, who are well organized, waft hefty campain contributions to both parties and their lobbyists are continuously pushing for more runways and the elimination of previously hard-won lower-noise laws. . ."

FROM READERS

"AIR QUALITY INSIDE AIRPLANES NEEDS MORE SCRUTINY" according to air safety author/advocate Diana Fairechild. --Society of Environmental Journalists "Tip Sheet" (12/12/01)