PASCACK VALLEY—Taxpayers for Aircraft Noise Solutions, a local group representing some 90,000 residents in the Pascack Valley and Hackensack area, is pressing the Federal Aviation Administration’s Eastern Region administrator, and air traffic controllers, for a solution to vexing private-aircraft noise that’s impinging on local quality of life.
In a letter sent on Jan. 24, TANS representatives Warren Feldman of Woodcliff Lake, Audrey Herget of Park Ridge, and Mary Ellen Stickel of the Township of Washington Township reminded Marie Kennington-Gardiner, FAA Eastern Region Administrator in Jamaica, N.Y., that TANS has more than 50 members and 1,100 signatures on a petition [“Reduce Air Traffic Noise En-route to Teterboro Airport”] seeking a collaborative solution.
The petition takes issue with “minimal” notification for pilots to utilize air over Route 17, “specifically RNAV GPS X RWY 19, to mitigate noise over Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC), over Teterboro Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee (TANAAC) resident member towns and the Pascack Valley Region.”
It says the large volume of private jets flying into Teterboro Airport (TEB) “brings noise to levels intolerable for many residents in the Pascack Valley Region.”
And it says “TANAAC has been supportive of addressing these issues since 2016 and their resident members as well as Pascack Valley residents still need relief.” It also says “Since 2019 the air route over Route 17, RNAV GPS X, was established as an alternative route; and … voluntary noise abatement recommendations have failed to effectively achieve the necessary utilization of this route.”
“Now, therefore, the undersigned concerned residents, including the Mayors of Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Old Tappan, Oradell, Park Ridge, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake and TANAAC resident members do hereby petition the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and air traffic controllers who mandate this air space to prioritize the Route 17 alternate route as the preferred route for arrivals to Runway 19 which is the RNAV GPS X at TEB Airport.
TANS says the RNAV GPS X approach to Runway 19 avoids HUMC and the Pascack Valley region and provides relief to TANAAC resident members.
The TANAAC Board is comprised of towns within 5 miles of Teterboro Airport which are concerned about the noise and flight patterns. “The Taxpayers for Aircraft Noise Solution (TANS) is a community organization tasked with finding workable solutions to the aircraft noise which adversely affects the quality of life of residents in the Pascack Valley and surrounding towns. TANS’ members evolved from TANAAC and believe there are solutions which can be undertaken that would improve residents’ quality of life while continuing to provide safe and necessary access to air travel in and out of Teterboro Airport, Newark Airport and all others within our vicinity.”
TANS says “The following mayors and councils passed a resolution supporting the TANS petition: Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Hillsdale, Westwood, Washington Township and Hackensack. … These governing bodies represent over 90,000 residents. We are not a small group, and we deserve to be heard. Therefore, we hope you will continue an open dialogue and consider our concerns. We believe there are attainable solutions to alleviate the excessive air traffic plaguing our communities, preventing us from “quiet enjoyment,” said TANS.
The letter is in response to a reply TANS fielded from the FAA in summer 2023, and includes questions and comments.
Furthermore, says TANS, “the Pascack Valley Mayors Association requested a seat on TANAAC to represent the 10 Pascack Valley towns that are experiencing excessive air traffic noise due to the increased private jet traffic utilizing Teterboro Airport, and they were denied. Therefore, we created TANS.”
TANS rep Audrey Herget of Park Ridge tells Pascack Press, “The FAA’s first response to our first letter was underwhelming. They challenged the map we presented, stating it ‘seems’ to include overflights, not just arrivals into runway 19 at Teterboro, over a 24-hour period. Our second letter proved it’s being only arrivals into runway 19.”
She said, “The FAA stated we should be part of TANAAC if we want to be heard. The Pascack Valley Mayors Association had requested membership, one seat, and were denied by the TANAAC board. Maybe the FAA should encourage the TANAAC board to revise their bylaws to open membership to the Pascack Valley communities.”
Herget said “TANS believes the FAA could do a much better job communicating with TANS and other agencies like PANYNJ, New Jersey elected officials, etc., to bring the best minds together for solutions, not just deflection.”
Among their comments, TANS asks the FAA, “Based on the attached map, can any reasonably astute aviation professional seriously suggest that this concentration is appropriate? Newark Airport has slot controls in place that do not allow more than 79 arrivals/departures each hour. Teterboro approaches that number periodically and is smaller. Why not establish a maximum number per hour for Teterboro?”
Copies of the letter were sent to Gov. Phil Murphy, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-5), and state Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale).