Resolution 15241CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 15241
REQUESTING THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION TO
ADDRESS INCREASED AIRCRAFT NOISE IN ALAMEDA
WHEREAS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is implementing a planned
transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next Gen) to standardize
arrival and departure routes through the use of GPS based technologies in 21 identified
metroplexes, which are regions with multiple airports serving major metropolitan areas
where heavy airport activity and environmental constraints combine to hinder the efficient
movement of air traffic; and
WHEREAS, the Northern California Metroplex is comprised of four commercial
airports, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland International Airport (OAK),
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), and Sacramento International Airport (SMF);
and
WHEREAS, as part of the transition to Next Gen, the FAA recently changed the flight
paths followed by commercial aircraft flying into and out of OAK, SFO, and SJC, as well as
other airports in the Northern California Metroplex under a project the FAA calls the
Northern California Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (Nor Cal
OAPM); and
WHEREAS, according to the FAA, the Nor Cal OAPM consists of new procedures
and technologies to establish more direct flight routes intended to improve safety,
efficiency, and reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions; and
WHEREAS, modernizing air space using a sophisticated satellite controlled system
and precision flying can embrace FAA goals alongside minimizing and equitably distributing
noise impacts experienced on the ground; and
WHEREAS, on July 31, 2014, the FAA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact
that Nor Cal OAPM would not have any significant noise impact on communities and
surrounding areas based on sound metrics which did not reflect the true disturbance to the
communities on the ground; and
WHEREAS, the new flight paths out of OAK entitled HUSSH and CNDEL; the
existing flight path out of OAK entitled OAKLAND NINE; new flight paths out of SFO,
entitled TRUKN, GRTFL, DEDHD, HYPEE, and COSMO; and increasing vectored OAK
departures are impacting residents of the City of Alameda; and
WHEREAS, significant environmental impacts created by the new flight paths
adversely impact the enjoyment, preservation, and protection of natural, cultural, and
scenic resources along the Alameda Shoreline; and
WHEREAS, as evidenced by the increasing number of complaints received by the
City of Alameda, as well as the complaints received by the OAK and SFO Noise Abatement
Offices, the new routes have created noise impacts that appear to be far more adverse
than those of the former routes for our residents; and
WHEREAS, on October 19, 2016, FAA Western-Pacific Regional Administrator
Glen A. Martin announced at the OAK Noise Management Forum that possible resolution
to Alameda concerns could come in six to eight months.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Alameda that
it hereby requests the FAA's commitment to mitigate the increased aircraft noise at ground
level in Alameda caused by the Nor Cal OAPM project by expeditiously identifying all short
and long-term solutions and the expected timetable for their implementation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alameda City Council requests the FAA, as
part of the above analysis of aircraft noise mitigation measures, consider the expeditious
solution of adjusting the HUSSH procedure to be identical to the prior SILENT procedure,
and, as part of the longer-term solutions, consider a redesign of the flight paths within the
Northern California Metroplex to disperse flights equitably, minimize single event overflight
noise, and take advantage of the Bay as a flight corridor provided, however, that such
efforts shall not include "noise shifting," Le., simply moving the noise from one community
to another; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alameda City Council requests that the
Congress of the United States amend the FAA Modernization and Reform Act to eliminate
the availability of a categorical exclusion and bar the presumption of no significant impact
on the quality of the human environment that currently applies to navigation performance
and performance based navigation (PBN) procedures; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alameda City Council requests that the
Congress of the United States implement statutory changes to the FAA that require more
robust and substantive community engagement before flight paths are changed, more
accurate measures using updated metrics and full spectrum acoustic impacts of aviation
noise experienced on the ground and independent research on the health and
environmental impacts of aviation noise, and requirements that the FAA take such research
into account when making decisions regarding airspace design; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alameda City Council requests that the FAA
continue to meet in good faith with community representatives and impacted residents from
Alameda to further discuss and address these matters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED to consider and implement recommendations set
forth by the OAK Noise Management Forum on January 18, 2017 requesting the FAA to
address increased aircraft noise; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be distributed to the
offices of the members of the Bay Area Congressional Delegation, the Oakland Airport
Community Noise Management Forum, the offices of United States Senators Dianne
Feinstein and Kama la Harris, and the office of U.S. Representative Barbara Lee.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and
regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in a regular meeting
assembled on the 7th day of March 2017, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Ezzy Ashcraft, Matarrese, Oddie, Vella and
Mayor Spencer — 5.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of
said City this 8th day of March 2017.
Lara Weisiger, 0i Clerk
City of Alameda
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Janet 0. Kern, City Attorney
Cityof Alameda