Doctor Ruiz Fights for Quiet Skies Over Mountain Communities

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop new flight paths as noise pollution and particulate matter from heavy air traffic continue to harm area residents' quality of life. Urging the FAA to fast-track new flight plans in a letter sent along with other members of Congress, Dr. Ruiz emphasized the unknown and potentially harmful public health effects on residents beneath the current flight paths.

"The heavy air traffic produces constant noise and particulate matter that has yet to be deemed safe by the FAA or any other government agency," Dr. Ruiz said in a letter to the FAA. "The FAA boasts profits for airlines, shipping companies, and other industry stakeholders, but the burden of noise, health risks, and declining property values falls on the backs of hard-working Americans."

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is an FAA-led initiative to modernize America's air transportation system. In the letter, Dr. Ruiz and other members of Congress expressed their concern that the NextGen program has failed to meet minimum standards for success, citing limited estimates of annuals benefits, inaccurate information published by the FAA about the advantages of Performance Based Navigation, and inadequate documented evidence to measure the program's progress.

A copy of the signed letter can be found here.

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