State Lawmakers to Help Resolve Airport Noise Issues

Citing a lack of action by local authorities, a group of state legislators Tuesday pledged to step in to resolve noise issues that have plagued Van Nuys Airport for more than a decade.

The legislators, led by Assembly Speaker Antonio R. Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles), said they may call for a state audit or propose legislation to address mounting complaints from homeowners who say they are frustrated by an inability to find solutions.

The legislators also proposed that air transportation issues be studied on a statewide basis.

“Everybody points to another level of government and says ‘It’s not my responsibility,’ ” said Villaraigosa, who called for the round-table meeting of state officials with representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, San Fernando Valley homeowner groups and the Van Nuys Airport administration.

He said the purpose of the meeting was “to get a better handle on the responsibilities and jurisdiction” of government to address complaints.

A key issue centers on a steady increase in the number of older, noisier jet aircraft used for private, charter or corporate operations that fly in and out of Van Nuys.

Attempts to limit the number of such aircraft have stalled for years in the wake of strong opposition from owners and operators. The Los Angeles City Council last week postponed action for 90 days on a proposed ordinance that would curtail the use of such aircraft.

Since few solutions have been found after years of debate, Villaraigosa, a declared candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, suggested that “the state move ahead to enforce the admittedly weak laws that we have.”

Joining Villaraigosa in his call for state intervention were Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) and Assembly members Scott Wildman (D-Los Angeles) and Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica).

The city has been struggling for more than two decades to resolve noise problems at Van Nuys, as well as to develop a master plan of land uses to allow for greater compatibility between the airport and neighbors. With the exception of a voluntary “Fly Friendly” program, in which pilots utilize techniques to reduce noise, many of the issues have ended in stalemates.

The mayor-appointed city Airport Commission in 1997 recommended stiffer controls on noisy jets, but the City Council returned that proposal to the city Airports Department after aviation businesses complained the stringent rules would create severe economic hardships. Department planners then studied the issues for nearly two more years before the latest proposal was released this summer.

Last week, the council delayed approving those noise rules, which were recommended by the commission, after Councilman Mike Feuer and others said they did not go far enough to reduce jet noise.

“It’s not so much an issue of speed,” Feuer said Tuesday, when asked about the legislative panel’s criticism. “A fast result that doesn’t mitigate noise effectively doesn’t help anybody.”

At the same time, Feuer said he too wishes there had been speedier action and said he welcomes the state’s assistance.

“Anything that can help address the noise problem that Valley residents face from the airport is helpful,” he said.

At the round-table session, however, Alarcon said the city was not making any progress.

“The policymakers in the city of Los Angeles have not been able to solve this problem,” said Alarcon, a former Los Angeles city councilman. “The bottom line is it is time for the state to take action.”

Wildman concurred, calling for “regional and state solutions” to air traffic problems by correlating effects of changes at one airport with their impacts on other communities and airports. Several homeowner groups near Burbank and Van Nuys airports, for instance, have squabbled that changes in flight patterns or limitations on noisy jets could adversely affect adjoining communities.

City Councilman Joel Wachs, who is planning to compete with Villaraigosa in the 2001 mayor’s race, said he too has been frustrated in getting noise rules adopted, so any assistance the state can provide would be good.

“We welcome their help,” Wachs said.

The state for 20 years has had the power to require airports to set limitations on the amount of airport noise affecting residential areas. However, enforcement of rules, set down in an airport permit called a variance, is up to officials in the county in which the airport is located, said Larry Thelen, veteran attorney with the California Department of Transportation, which grants airport variances. Thelen told legislators Tuesday that no county has ever filed legal action against an airport for violating rules.

“That is the Achilles’ heel. That is the weak link in the process,” Thelen said.

Legislators said they will consider rewriting the law to allow the state to take enforcement action.

The round-table discussion included a series of proposals by homeowners, led by anti-noise advocate Gerald Silver, calling for legislative steps to adopt stricter rules limiting noise. They also proposed state tax incentives to encourage aircraft owners and operators to switch to quieter jets. Disincentives also were proposed, such as a fuel tax surcharge on tour flights.

Calling it a “David vs. Goliath battle,” Silver said thousands of homeowners who are affected by noise but live beyond narrow state-defined boundaries around an airport have no say in rules over aircraft noise. “Right now, the public has zero confidence” that problems can be resolved, he said.