Skip to main content

We want the FAA to use its satellite technology to revert to the flight paths of the pre-NextGen routes

The residents of Accokeek, Fort Washington, Bensville and Bryans Road are experiencing intolerable noise due to the FAA NextGen choice of flight paths. When I moved here, there was no airport noise.  In the past three years, there has been a deterioration in our quality of life caused by the loud noise and emissions from jet engines from the numerous aircraft that fly over our communities every day. We can no longer enjoy our outdoor activities, sunrooms, patios, cookouts and summer events.

The noise started in 2014 and has gotten worse with time. This increased noise was caused by the FAA decisions to implement the NextGen program. The FAA has become a government agency controlled by the Airlines. The FAA is using its discretionary power to save the Airlines money and pushing the cost to our communities. For every dollar the Airline save with NextGen we pay a cost, lower property values and problems with our health. Four communities that have the greatest excessive aircraft noise are:

  1. Accokeek (CDP) population 10,000 people
  2. Fort Washington (CDP) population 23,717 people
  3. Bensville (CDP) Maryland population11,000 people
  4. Bryans Road (CDP) Maryland population11,000 people
Accokeek was a very good place to live, quiet, uncrowded, plenty of green space, a good quality of life. I have lived in Accokeek Maryland since 1993 (26 years). I, like many of my neighbors, moved here because Accokeek was a good place to live. Accokeek is in the South East part of Prince George's County. Accokeek CDP is a community of over 10,000 people. The median income is $126,961. The medium property value is $371,417. For several years home values in Accokeek have appreciated over 6% a year.

During the 26 years I have been in my home I have invested a significant amount of money to improve my home. Like most middle-class homeowners I intended to take the equity from my home and use it to pay for expenses in my golden years.

Due to decisions by the FAA, commercial airliners frequently fly over my house every few minutes from 6:00 a.m. to midnight at altitudes below 3,000 feet.  This constant aircraft noise has reduced the equity in my home significantly. This constant noise from low-lying aircraft may prevent me from selling my house. 

I am not the only person who is negatively affected by NextGen airport noise; this problem affects thousands of people in Accokeek Maryland. I believe in a democracy the government should not be able to take property (reduced the equity in your home) without fair compensation or due process. The FAA (North Flow Arrivals) arbitrarily created aircraft flight paths over my home for aircraft landing at Reagan National Airport. This decision was made with no notice, no noise or health studies. This decision was made by a bunch of bureaucrats who probably have worked for the airlines in the past and will probably work for the airlines in the future. The FAA only took into consideration how their decisions will impact the airline's profits and airlines passengers' comfort. The FAA did not consider the people on the ground in Accokeek. Accokeek citizens health are severely impacted, and their property values are significantly reduced.

 We the residents of Accokeek, Fort Washington, Bensville and Bryans Road would like to get relief from the FAA mandated D.C. Metroplex North Flow Arrivals. We want the FAA to use its satellite technology to revert to the flight paths of the pre-NextGen routes. We believe this is an equitable solution since Accokeek has never had noise from air traffic. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Aircraft noise environmental justice issue

 Aircraft noise is also an environmental justice issue, as it disproportionately impacts children, seniors, racial minorities, and the poor.  Southern Maryland, Fair Skies Coalition, was founded to seek solutions to decrease aircraft noise and air pollution south of DCA. The most severely impacted neighborhoods are Accokeek (CDP), Bryans Road (CDP), Bennsville (CDP), and Fort Washington (CDP), Maryland. Aircraft noise is also an environmental justice issue, as it disproportionately impacts children, seniors, racial minorities, and the poor.   How to Submit a Reagan National Aircraft Noise Complaint: File a Noise Complaint Sources of information Airport noise and pollution Working-Class Americans Inhale Private Jet Fumes; National Public Radio, Dec. 26, 2022 READ MORE → Information about the severe health risks of aircraft noise and concentrated flight paths, go to Study: Airport Flight Patterns Influence Health Care Costs; The Business Monthly, Oct. 3, 2022 READ MOR...
Post a Comment
Read more

Effects of Airport Noise on Housing Value

Effects of Airport Noise on Housing Value   “In 1994 the consulting firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc. prepared a report titled  The Effect of Airport Noise on Housing Values: A Summary Report  for the Federal Aviation Administration. The report describes a methodology for evaluating the impact of noise on housing values. The methodology essentially compares market prices in similar neighborhoods that differ only in the level of airport-related noise. In pilot studies using this method, Booz-Allen found that the effect of noise on prices was highest in moderately priced and expensive neighborhoods. In two paired moderately priced neighborhoods north of Los Angeles International Airport, the study found "an average  18.6 percent  higher property value in the quiet neighborhood, or 1.33 percent per dB of additional quiet." (See  Bibliography: Impacts of Noise on Property Value .)   A 1996 study funded by the Legislature of the State of Was...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Helicopter Noise Complaint System for National Capital Region

  I received this information from Anne Hollander - Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition. Subject: New Helicopter Noise Complaint System for National Capital Region So many of us have been disturbed by low-flying helicopters. We finally got a method to file Helicopter noise complaints. https://www.arlnow.com/press-releases/beyer-regional-officials-unveil-new-helicopter-noise-complaint-system/ A 2021 report by the General Accounting Office (GAO), originally requested by Beyer and other members of the [Quiet Skies] Caucus,  [including MD Representative Jamie Raskin],  recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the D.C. area.” The just-announced pilot program was developed with this recommendation in mind and will be evaluated by FAA for potential permanent adoption after a 60-day trial run. “It is important to note that  this system is a pilot program ,...
Post a Comment
Read more

So many people I talk to don’t seem to understand how the decision by the FAA to direct low flying plane over our community will affect their health and their property values.

Last week I had a conversation with a neighbor about all the airplanes flying over our community. The gentleman stated that he intended to sell his home and move to Florida. He expressed little interest in making phone calls and writing letters to politicians for assistance. I informed him that his ability to sell his home and the price he would receive would be negatively affected by aircraft noise. So many people I talk to don’t seem to understand how the decision by the FAA to direct low flying plane over our community will affect their health and their property values. Take a look at this article. The Impact of Airport Noise on Residential Real Estate https://nqsc.org/downloads/REALESTATE.pdf by Randall Bell, MAI “As populations and airports expand, airport noise is an increasingly important issue for real estate analysts. In researching real estate damage issues, the topic of airport noise and its impact on property market values are particularly well-documented an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Against Beltway Expansion

[PGSC Climate Action] Join Me in Speaking Out Against the Beltway Expansion Our community's health and future are on the line. On October 15th, the Transportation Planning Board will vote on the "Southside Project," a massive beltway expansion that would increase air pollution and traffic in our neighborhoods. I shared in my testimony, this isn't just about traffic, it's personal. I was diagnosed with environmentally triggered asthma at the age of 37, a condition worsened by vehicle pollution. This expansion would fill our air with more harmful pollutants like PM2.5 and ozone, which are known to aggravate respiratory conditions and pose a risk to all of us. But our voices can make a difference. The board needs to hear how this project will impact real people. Will you join me in writing a letter? Share your own story, whether it's concerns about your family's health, the dangerous traffic on roads like MD-210, or the need for better transit options instead...
1 comment
Read more