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Regional Aviation Policy Update

October 5, 2005
Memorandum

TO: COG Board of Directors
FROM: Rob Krupicka, Chair Committee on Noise Abatement and Aviation Policy at Reagan National and Dulles Airports
Member, Alexandria City Council

SUBJECT: Committee on Noise Abatement and Aviation at National and Dulles Airports (CONAANDA) Strategic Direction and Priorities

Purpose of Memorandum
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on CONAANDA priorities and revised strategic planning directions, including opportunities for greater participation in aviation and airport policy dialogues. The Board is requested to endorse CONAANDA?s focus and strategic priorities for FY 2006.

Background
The COG Board of Directors formed CONAANDA, originally called National Airport Noise Abatement Committee, in 1985 after the 1983-84 "Scatter Plan" demonstration. Due to the controversial issue of  "aircraft noise dispersal, the Board decided to identify a new mechanism to address continuing noise mitigation strategies at Reagan Washington National Airport.

CONAANDA's original mission was to provide a regional policy perspective on airport noise matters on behalf of the Washington area's local governments. The Committee was limited to noise mitigation issues resulting from large commercial turbo jet operations. General aviation and other airport related issues were not part of the Committee's mission, only environmental noise.

Over the next 20 years, the Committee would be the area's strongest advocate for protecting existing noise abatement and mitigation control at Reagan National Airport, receiving recognition from leaders in the area's congressional delegation, the Airport Authority, and federal agencies as a key stakeholder in the aviation noise debate. (See Historical Synopsis of CONAANDA for more details on accomplishments and issues addressed.) This single focused mission would remain until 2002.

On January 9, 2002, the COG Board created an ad hoc committee charged with exploring the creation of an Airport Policy Committee that would report to the COG Board of Directors. It was envisioned that the Airport Policy Committee would be charged with the development of an integrated regional approach on airport issues. This action was, in part, was in response to the inability of COG to quickly articulate a regional response to the closure of Reagan Washington National Airport resulting from September 11th. This inability indicated a weakness in the organizations structure as reflected by the fact that various COG committees addressed airport policy issues in a disjointed and fragmented manner.

In May 2002, the ad hoc Committee recommended that the Board of Directors reconstitute the Committee on Noise Abatement at National and Dulles Airports (CONANDA) with an enhanced mission to provide a broad, balanced, and integrated perspective on matters relating to airport and aircraft policies in the Washington metropolitan region. The enhanced policy committee would retain the current responsibilities, and acquire new responsibilities. The Committee would be called the Committee on Noise Abatement and Aviation Policy at National and Dulles Airports (CONAANDA). It also would retain a strong commitment to represent noise and other concerns affecting communities in close proximity to the airport.

The CONAANDA 's mission would include the formulation of regional policies related to: aircraft and helicopter noise, land use policy as affected by airport noise and siting issues, other environmental issues relevant to airports and aircraft, economic aspects of airport policy, and airport transportation policy matters except for airport systems planning issues (e.g., ground access) that are the purview of the Transportation Planning Board's constrained long-range transportation plan and transportation improvement program.

The scope of Committee's interests will include policy related to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dulles Airports and general aviation airports in the region.

CONAANDA Action Since 2002
Since May 2002, CONAAANDA has operated under this new and revised direction as noted above. There have been two significant studies completed in which CONAANDA provided leadership and expertise to developing policy recommendations for local governments, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The Part 150 Study, completed in December of 2004, was a three year planning effort to identify noise mitigation and abatement measures for implementation at Reagan Washington National Airport. The Study includes 14 measures that: (1) lessen the extent and effects of aircraft noise on residents in the Airport environs, (2) identify agencies and jurisdictions responsible for the implementation and monitoring of flight routes and operational changes, including advanced technology departure procedures, and (3) establish new noise management techniques to provide noise abatement information to the community. These measures provide either noise abatement or noise mitigation.

While the existence of current helicopter activity in the Metropolitan Washington area is apparent to many residents and visitors, the impact of that activity in terms of social costs and benefits, as well as the needs of the helicopter user, have not systematically been evaluated since 1992. In 2002, COG, in cooperation with the State of Maryland, sponsored a joint Regional Helicopter System Plan study. The study captures up-to-date information on helicopter activity, examines the costs and benefits of this activity on the community, identifies future system needs and recommendations, and provides a plan to implement the study recommendations.

The recommendations of these two studies, which are outlined below, set CONAANDA?s FY 06 direction and priorities.

Strategic Direction
1. Implementation of National Airport Part 150 Recommendations: The Part 150 Plan contains several recommendations that require leading roles for the Federal Aviation Administration, COG, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. While the primary responsibility for implementing operational procedures rests with the FAA, the MWAA will work with local jurisdictions and other agencies to develop and implement other preventive noise measures.

Measure 1 calls for the formation of a working group with members of CONAANDA to develop advanced navigational procedures for arrival and departures on all runways. Measure 7 establishes a system to report airline compliance with noise abatement measures. MWCOG is expected to provide input on the development of the new report. Finally, Measure 8 is to enhance the noise complaint system. Again, MWCOG is expected to provide input in the design of materials for outreach to the area communities.

Specifically, CONAANDA will:

• Develop protocol for identification and placement of noise monitors in local communities, including coordination with local planning and permit agencies;
• Develop technical criteria for location of monitors;
• Prepare recommendation for enhancing noise monitoring reporting to local governments and the community; and
• Develop formats for new noise monitoring reports and other outreach materials, resulting form the new monitoring system data.

CONAANDA will work in cooperation with the MWAA to implement the above.

2. Implementation of Helicopter System Plan Recommendations: Helicopters will continue to impact communities in the Washington area. The study recommends a more proactive approach to information sharing by helicopter users. Organizing existing users is the key component to this strategy. Such an approach was very effective in the early 1990s. COG and the Helicopter Association International would play a critical role in organizing and disseminating information on existing route structures and area hot spots.

Specifically, CONAANDA will:

• Convene two helicopter users forums to educate users on sensitive community ?hot spots and solicit their compliance with existing route structures; and
•  Develop recommendations for creating a program to address helicopter noise complaints.

3. Enhance CONAANDA Mission: Since its formation CONAANDA has held the distinction of being a noise abatement committee. Today, CONAANDA has an integrated mission that addresses broader quality of life issues. It is clear that major strides have been made in reducing the impact of aircraft noise on the region in the past 20 years. Improvement in technology and the phase-out of Stage 2 aircraft has played a big role in this improvement. CONAANDA developed comments on FAA?s proposed rule-making on the acceleration of the phase-out of Stage 2 commercial aircraft from the domestic fleet. The Committee recommended, and the COG Board passed, a resolution which called for no further addition of Stage 2 aircraft after December 31, 1989. The MWAA implemented this recommendation one year before the federal mandated cessation.

Committee Priorities for FY 06

During FY 05, CONAANDA was involved in two major studies in the region: the FAA Part 150 Washington National Airport Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study and an FAA Regional Helicopter Systems Plan Study. The Committee is committed to monitoring and implementing the recommendations of these two studies. In addition, the committee will continue to monitor and, where appropriate, offer advise to both FAA and MWAA on airport policies and issues that impact the community.

The Committee's priorities are as follows:

1. Implementation of National Airport Part 150 Recommendations which include a community noise monitoring and reporting component:

CONAANDA will continue to collaborate with the MWAA in implementing the recommendations of the Part 150 Study. Although the recommendations are still in the review process by FAA, the Airport Authority has identified several activities that they will begin implementation of in FY 06. CONAAADA will play a major role in designing an updating community outreach program. Information obtained from the Part 150 Community Outreach Survey which COG managed, will be used to define several parameters. Therefore, a major component of CONAANDA?s FY 2006 work program involves the synthesis of the community outreach survey as input to the Part 150 Plan implementation plan.

2. Implementation of Helicopter System Plan Recommendations: Helicopters will continue to impact communities in the Washington area. The study recommends a more proactive approach to information sharing by helicopter users. Organizing existing users is the key component to this strategy. Such an approach was very effective in the early 1990s. MWCOG and the Helicopter Association International would play a critical role in organizing and disseminating information on existing route structures and area hot spots.

3. Continue to Provide Legislative Monitoring and Special Support to Members on Aviation Issues: Recently, CONAANDA conducted a special inquire regarding proposed area prohibition changes in the region. CONAANDA will continue to monitor FAA, MWAA, and other regulatory/legislative initiatives that may impact operations at National and Dulles Airports for quality of life and other impacts. This task includes preparing formal testimony, as appropriate, on national legislative initiatives that have direct impacts on aviation policy and noise abatement strategies for National and Dulles Airports. The thrust of this initiative is to make available information in a timely fashion and disseminate pertinent data that impact aviation policies at Washington National and Dulles Airports.

4. Develop a New Committee Message that advocates an integrated approach to aviation noise by emphasizing that the economic impact and quality of life aspects of airports must be balanced with environmental concerns: Virtually all past CONAANDA policy has been relative to aircraft noise, airport capacity, or airport governance. Concurrently, environmental noise has been the dominant policy issue. The impacts of general aviation on land use, economy, and quality of life issues seldom receive the vigorous debate necessary to formulate and guide the development of policy to address these interfacing concerns.

Recently, FAA initiated a program to assess air transportation noise and emissions. The program will address socio-economic effects of noise and noise mitigation as well as atmospheric and health effects of aviation emissions. This is an opportunity to collaborate and provide input to on-going research that reaches beyond environmental noise.

It has been suggested that the Committee?s name limits the opportunities and dialogues when addressing airport issues. Therefore, among the issues to be addressed is a committee name change to reflect the new message. The Committee will also continue to explore ways to assure that all stakeholders in the aviation debate are involved in the committee deliberations.

Closing Comments

One of the key challenges CONAANDA faces is to rid the notion that it is a single focused environmental noise committee. The mission has been broader, yet most of the debate continues to focus on noise and community impacts. Over the next months, the CONAANDA will identify specific recommendations to foster its enhanced mission and identify ways to better integrate CONAANDA with other COG policy committees. This discussion will include a possible name change for the Committee. In addition, the Committee will continue to address implementation of recommendations noted in both the Part 150 Plan and Helicopter System Plan. Finally, the Committee will develop a recommendation that explores the opportunity for MWAA financial participation in the funding of committee activities.

In summary, CONNNADA has a very challenging agenda for the remainder of FY 06. This agenda offers opportunities to better serve the region. The Board is requested to endorse this direction for FY 06.

More Information: http://www.mwcog.org/environment/airport/conaanda/