County Legislator Introduces Bill To Authorize Action Against NextGen Plan

Officials in Howard County, MD have prepared legislation that would authorize the county to take legal action against the FAA in response to air traffic changes under NextGen at Baltimore/Washington International airport (KBWI).

The effort is being spearheaded by Howard County Council Chairman Jon Weinstein (D), who says airport noise at his home in Ellicott City has greatly increased since the FAA implemented NextGen procedures at BWI, according to a report from the McClatchy news service.

As has happened in nearly every city where the new flight patterns have been put in place, residents in the new approach and departure corridors say they have frequent low-flying aircraft over their homes where they did not before.

If Howard County is successful in filing a complaint against the FAA, it would be the first county government to do so, according to the report. Other suits have been filed by cities such as Phoenix, AZ and Newport Beach, CA. In some areas, homeowners associations have filed lawsuits as well.

Weinstein and Councilman Calvin Ball (D) say that they are pursuing the legal action because they have not been able to get any resolution from the FAA in any other way.

FMI: http://cc.howardcountymd.gov