The Long Beach City Council has instructed two of the City’s committees to study noise and air pollution stemming from operations at the Long Beach Airport.
The Housing and Public Health Committee and the Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure Committee will now discuss the issue, and return to the City Council with potential solutions.
Over the last year, District 5 residents who live under the airport’s flight path have been saying that the noise from small airplanes has recently significantly increased. They’ve also expressed concern over the use of leaded gas by the airplanes that fly over their homes.
Residents have formed the Small Aircraft Noise Reduction (SANeR) group to advocate for a change in the policies that have allowed for these increases, but Long Beach city council said those changes may be harder than previously expected. The group has over 700 members as of Dec. 21.
When the United States Congress passed the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) in 1990, it restricted cities from implementing their own airport codes. Long Beach is one of the few cities that had their noise ordinance “grandfathered in,” and there has been no updates to that ordinance since 1995.
Cities who were able to keep their own ordinance must appeal to ANCA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to make changes, and City staff said that no city has successfully passed the appeal process.
Gasoline used in cars once contained lead, until legislation banned leaded gasoline once it became apparent that it caused health problems such as heart disease, stroke and cancer, as well as stunting the mental development of children.
A 2021 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found evidence that from the 1950s to the 1980s, over half the U.S. population was exposed to significant levels of lead during childhood, which lowered the average IQ level by 2.6 points.
On Oct. 18, the Environmental Protection Agency released a statement saying that the use of leaded gas by aircraft can cause or contribute to air pollution, and “reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Long Beach Airport produces the second-highest lead pollution among airports across the nation.
During its Nov. 14 meeting, the Long Beach City Council voted to write a letter to Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the FAA asking these agencies to more quickly phase out the use of leaded gas for general aviation aircrafts—which is currently planned by the FAA for 2030.
Some residents have also asked that the City stop issuing business licenses to flight schools that want to operate out of the Long Beach Airport.
There are currently seven flight schools located at the airport, according to the Long Beach Airport’s Public Relations Office.
According to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released in May, regional airports across the nation have reported that meeting the hiring demand for airline pilots has been difficult, and that this has caused operation issues. The GAO also noted that based on current data, the demand for pilots is expected to continue to be strong, despite the number of qualified airline pilots increasing every year between 2017 and 2022.
Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry said that there are now over 400 flights a day from small planes. The airport received $5.6 million in revenue from general aviation, and $50 million from commercial flights in 2023.
During the Dec. 12 city council meeting, City staff explained that the FAA controls noise levels for all airports across the country. City staff also explained that because the Long Beach Airport receives funds from the FAA, it is subject to FAA rules when it comes to allowing licensed businesses to operate at the airport and setting prices for leaded fuel as well.
Since 2004, The airport has accepted $347 million in federal grants.
According to a presentation given to the city council, the airport must be made available for public use for all airport operators under federal law. The FAA has set noise ordinances for airports since 1990, but Long Beach had its own pre-existing noise ordinance that was grandfathered in. If the City applies for a new noise ordinance, the FAA could decide to retract the grandfathered noise ordinance.
City Manager Tom Modica added that if Long Beach loses its noise ordinance, it would have to adopt the ANCA, which would result in “an immediate increase in regional commercial flight activity.”
While the City can not force the airport to change its operations, District 5 Councilmember Megan Kerr shared other ways to address the noise and pollution concerns from residents.
The City is trying to get flight schools to voluntarily agree to its Fly Friendly program, which recommends flight paths for training that would minimize the amount of homes impacted by the noise.
Since it can’t charge pilots more for leaded fuel, the City hopes to find ways to subsidize non-leaded fuel in order to remove the financial barrier around the more expensive but more environmentally friendly option.
Mayor Rex Richardson acknowledged that the City’s “hands are tied” but said they will attempt to get senators and members of Congress to “back them up.”
Councilmember Al Austin suggested the City update the locations of its noise-monitoring microphones, which have not moved since 1987. The equipment itself was last upgraded in February 2020, according to the Long Beach Airport.
A previous version of this article stated that the noise-monitoring microphones had not been updated since 1987. The equipment was last updated in 2020, and the locations have not been updated since 1987. The article was updated on Jan. 5. The Signal Tribune regrets this error.
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