Representatives Request DC-Area Helicopter Noise Study

• January 29th 2019

by Nena Perry-Brown

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First, it was the airplanes. Now, it's the helicopters.

Five representatives from DC, Maryland and Virginia submitted a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Monday requesting that it study the severity of helicopter noise in the DC area.

The letter notes that while area residents are somewhat accustomed to helicopter noise, "others have noted recent increases in the frequency and severity of helicopter noise in their neighborhoods". 

“Many of our constituents live with the impacts of regular helicopter noise that interrupts sleep patterns, causes their homes to shake and negatively impacts their quality of life,” the letter stated.

The representatives hope the study will cover the following:

• what kinds of helicopters currently fly over the area and their flight paths,
• which kinds of helicopters are the loudest,
• the number, frequency, altitude and operating agencies of current helicopter flights, 
• why the frequency and severity has increased, and
• how noise can be mitigated, among other points of concern.

DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton penned the letter while Representatives Jamie Raskin, Anthony Brown and David Trone of Maryland and Don Beyer of Virginia were co-signers. The request for a study takes a different approach than the recent unsuccessful appeal that pitted a handful of DC residents against the Federal Aviation Administration. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/representatives-request-dc-area-helicopter-noise-study/14941.