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WASHINGTON—U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Joe Neguse (CO-02) again wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA), imploring them to take immediate action to mitigate significant noise pollution that is inundating local communities. Today’s letter is the follow-up to an unanswered request the lawmakers made a little more than a week ago, outlining the need for the FAA and RMMA to pursue an Airport Noise Compatibility Planning agreement. 

“In sum, we implore the FAA and RMMA to take our concerns seriously and to pursue the myriad processes available under existing law to address these issues. As you know, RMMA is the fourth-busiest airport in the state of Colorado, and in recent years, has experienced a takeoff or landing every three minutes,” the lawmakers wrote. “As a result, our constituents suffer relentless noise pollution at all hours of the day and night, often because pilots begin flying around 5 am and after 10 pm, flying well outside of the recommended hours of 7 am - 10 pm.”

They continued, “Our communities are suffering due to continued inaction on the part of the FAA and RMMA. In just the last two years, flight operations at RMMA have increased by 40 percent. It is long past time for the FAA to take our communities’ concerns seriously and pursue substantive action.”

Earlier this year, a bill to reauthorize the FAA passed the House of Representatives, including a Pettersen-led provision to expand avenues for constituents to relay concerns to the Aviation Noise Officer about noise pollution from airports, pollution, and safety in their communities. If passed by the Senate, it would allow the Aviation Noise Officer to relay concerns from the public to the Administrator outside of just the NEPA process and new procedures. 

Read the full letter HERE and below: 

Administrator Trottenberg,

We write regarding ongoing noise concerns surrounding the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) and to continue to implore the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pursue actions that will mitigate the noise pollution that is inundating our communities.

On September 5th, we wrote to your agency expressing our concerns with the noise issues at RMMA and urging the FAA to pursue an Airport Noise Compatibility Planning agreement or a Part 150 agreement. A few days later, at a September 7th meeting of the RMMA Community Noise Roundtable, FAA Northwest Mountain Region Manager John Bauer appeared critical of our request, telling the Jefferson County Commissioners he “...would recommend that [they] have that conversation with [his] office before using political capital to try and do something that you may not have needed to use political capital” (1:17:23). As a result, we are concerned that the FAA would prejudge the content of the September 5th letter and the request we made as Members of Congress representing these communities. We expect the FAA — and your office — to ensure that the request receives the impartial, objective, and serious consideration that it deserves.

During the September 7th CNR meeting, FAA Northwest Mountain Region Manager Bauer also suggested that a Part 161 Study may be a more prudent option in addressing noise pollution. In fact, he noted that “if there was a noise problem that was identified at the airport, then you could proceed to a 161” (1:11:20). As you know, a Part 161 Study is acomprehensive analysis that airports perform when proposing noise or operational restrictions at an airport, like a nighttime curfew. The Study process includes an opportunity for public input and a scientific study of the noise environment, among other things. Given there can be no dispute that such “noise problem[s]” exist in this instance, we encourage the FAA and RMMA to pursue this approach as well and presume both entities will be willing to do so given the comments referenced above.

In sum, we implore the FAA and RMMA to take our concerns seriously and to pursue the myriad processes available under existing law to address these issues. As you know, RMMA is the fourth-busiest airport in the state of Colorado, and in recent years, has experienced a takeoff or landing every three minutes. As a result, our constituents suffer relentless noise pollution at all hours of the day and night, often because pilots begin flying around 5 am and after 10 pm, flying well outside of the recommended hours of 7 am - 10 pm.

Our communities are suffering due to continued inaction on the part of the FAA and RMMA. In just the last two years, flight operations at RMMA have increased by 40 percent. It is long past time for the FAA to take our communities’ concerns seriously and pursue substantive action.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to continuing to work with you to address these challenges.

Sincerely,