Update: June 25, 2019
Sherman Oaks & Encino for Quiet Skies in the news on June 25, 2019
Addendum
A question that is being asked is “why can’t the City include Van Nuys Airport and Burbank Airport in the lawsuit?”
ANSWER: Our understanding is that The City's lawsuit pertains to LAX arrival flight procedures that are now considered final actions by the FAA. It appears the City and the FAA had an agreement to freeze the time for suing while they tried to resolve it amicably. Our communities can't be a part of that lawsuit because it does not pertain to BUR and VNY flight procedures, as there are no final actions the FAA has taken at those airports upon which the City can sue at this time.
With regard to BUR, the City can’t sue the FAA right now because FAA has not yet taken a final action on the FAA’s proposed modifications to two flight departure procedures that will be the subject of an upcoming environmental assessment by the FAA (the schedule for this EA has yet to be announced). With regard to VNY, the City can’t sue the FAA because there is no timely flight procedure at issue; the window for suing regarding FAA changes at VNY is closed, as far as we know right now.
CITY SUES THE FAA OVER LAX & SAYS IT SUPPORTS THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
The City of Los Angeles, through City Attorney Mike Feuer, has announced it is suing the FAA regarding arrival flight path changes made at LAX that are subjecting mid-City and central Los Angeles residents to environmental and noise impacts. The City says these impacts were not adequately considered prior to the FAA's making flight path changes final.
The lawsuit also challenges the FAA’s recent decision to discontinue its longstanding practice of accepting public comment on its website in the environmental analysis of proposed flight procedures, pointing out that comments submitted through its IFP Information Gateway require submitters to acknowledge that “comments submitted to the IFP Information Gateway related to potential environmental impacts will not be considered."
According to City Attorney Mike Feuer's office, the City has also been communicating directly with the FAA's Regional Administrator, legal counsel and members of Congress to ensure that the FAA address and resolve the aircraft traffic impacts for San Fernando Valley residents in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Bel Air, and Mulholland Ridge areas in and near the Santa Monica Mountains.
In late March of this year, efforts by Sherman Oaks and Encino for Quiet Skies (SOEQS) led to Senators Feinstein and Harris, and Representatives Sherman and Schiff, to call for a "panel" or "roundtable" to be convened to immediately address the crisis caused by frequent flights from both Van Nuys Airport and Hollywood Burbank Airport over the Santa Monica Mountains. Today, the City Attorney recognizes Congress’ call to convene the panel with the FAA's involvement to address the serious problems created by the FAA’s actions at both airports.
SOEQS commends and supports the City of Los Angeles’ actions. We continue to work with the City of Los Angeles and our state and federal representatives to convene this roundtable or “Solutions Panel” for the San Fernando Valley. The Panel’s objective will be to identify and to recommend solutions that can be immediately implemented at both airports to protect our residents and the Santa Monica Mountains from further and future harm due to the low altitude flight paths destroying quality of life, subjecting residents to serious health and environmental problems, and greatly increasing the chances of an aviation accident and potential wildfire in the Santa Monica Mountains area.