Helicopter noise called peril to public health

By CHRISENA COLEMAN OAILY NEWSSIAff WRITER

A New York-based environ

mental group released a study

yesterday that concluded heli

copter noise in the city is linked

to health problems.

In its 57-page report, the Natu

ral Resources Defense Council

said the typeof noisecausedby

helicopters is Jinked to serious

health problems in New York

ers, including cardiovascular

andsleep disorders, anxiety and

impaired learning ability inchil

dren^ j ,

Acffirding to the study, titled

Bess Noise: The Negative Is of•Helicopter Traffic in

forkCity andtheTri-State

6,":there aretnot enough Hi tins ^in, nlacf to monitor

J»ter noise7 and it is put- _ Me health dfjlfew Yorkers

atjisjc.

hVe found pu*f^}HJ helicopters

are ^ry.*;underrggijlated," said

council spokeswoman Carolyn

Cunningham, Who wrote the re

port. "NewYorlisBity has the

highest helicopter^traffic in the

copntff, and the residents are severel|pmpacted."

The report says there are no

emission standards for helicop

ter engines and that their emis

sions go unabated and uncon

trolled.

Council officials said the city

should work toward decreasing

the city's sightseeing helicopter

flights and eventually ban them,

because they are not necessary

and are bad for the environ

ment.

"New York City is the most

heavily helicopter-trafficked ar

ea in the country, with more

than 140,000 flights yearly dur

ing the 1990s," said Richard Kassel of the resources defense

group. "Clearly, now is the time

for the city and the individual he

liports to decrease noise and pro

tect the public."

The mayor's office today isex

pected- -tu set

"Neei

Impai

N<Jwf

Ragi(j

reguli

heJicil

tiite

EARACHE Helicopters landing at the East River Heliport at 34th ANDREW SAVUUCH DAILY NEWS

St. are one source of numerous noise complaints by neighbors.

VVvtask force to look into the mat

ter. Butthe environmental group

said the city's helicopter use

master plan, released in the fall,

understates the effects of in

creased numbers of helicopter

overflights on the environment

and public health. The group

urged city officials to decrease

the helicopter noise in an effort

to protect the public.

Cunningham said the Council

had done two studies about airnot look at helicopters. Howev

er, there were noise complaints

on record from residents who

did not like helicopters in their

neighborhood, which prompted

the latest study.

She said helicopters arc not

being forced to comply with

noise and pollution regulations.

The councilsaid there is no pro

vision in the CleanAir Act regu

lating pollution from aircraft.

"There is an urgent need for

^W^l:?^>?^A^Po^P0llu!ion.in'ih>a area hut_did, :iam, . . noise, reliqf." said Cunningl "^ --•..,. ".'• •*/«*.*•* ,~rY,v: ".*•,•/.• v.\\\'

"Helicopternoise is annoyingbe

cause of blade slap and low-fre

quency noise that results in

building vibration."

She said residents also should

be concerned about potentially

harmful toxins released into the

air by helicopters.

City Councilwoman Christine

Quinn (D-Chelsea) said she has

received all sorts of complaints

from constituents abouthelicop ter noise.

, ."Helicopter noise is an enor

mous problem in my district,"

said Quinn. "It is one of the chief

complaints that I have heard

since 1 took office. The noise is

keeping their children up at

night and causing their build

ings to vibrate."

She said the industry has not

been regulated but that she

hopes Ihe situation will be recti

fied.

"This report is enormously

helpful to me," she said. "It fur

ther proves what people have

been tellii\g.nje all along.",

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