# Helicopter noise calledperil to public health

By CHRISENA COLEMAN OAILY NEWSSIAffWRITER

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 

### andsleepdisorders, anxiety and impaired learning ability inchil 

## dren^ j
,

Acffirding tothe study, titled Bess Noise: The Negative 

## Is of •HelicopterTraffic in forkCityandtheTri-State 6,":there aretnot enough Hitins^in, nlacfto monitor 

## J»ternoise7 and it is put-

_ Me health dfjlfew Yorkers atjisjc.



## hVefoundpu*f^}HJhelicopters
are ^ry.*;underrggijlated," said council spokeswoman Carolyn Cunningham, Who wrote the re port. "NewYorlisBity has the highest helicopter^traffic in the copntff, andtheresidents arese

### verel|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 ingthe 1990s," said Richard Kassel of the resources defense group. "Clearly, now is the time 

### for the city and the individual he liports todecrease 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 ofnumerous noise complaints by neighbors.

VVvtask force to look into the mat 

### ter. Butthe environmental group said the city's helicopter use masterplan, 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 air

### not 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 CleanAirAct regu lating pollution from aircraft.

"There is an urgent need for :iam,

. 

## ^W^l:?^>?^A^Po^P0llu!ion.in'ih>aareahut_did,

. 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 ofthe 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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