Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Input Period Extended for New FAA Flight Plan Over Canton

By Matt Perkins

Sen. Brian Joyce (D-Milton) announced on Monday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is allowing more time for the public to weigh in on a new flight plan that would affect residents in Canton, Milton and Randolph.

The comment period has been extended by 30 days, according to Monday's announcement, and will allow residents to provide feedback on a revised departure route from Logan International Airport in Boston over the areas of Canton, Milton and Randolph. (The proposed changes to the departure routes can be viewed in a PDF file attached to this article; more information can be found at bostonrnavea.com.)

Citizens will now have until Friday, March 15 to provide feedback on the plan. Originally, the comment period was scheduled to end on Friday, Feb. 15, with proposed changes to take effect on March 7.

The route, proposed by the FAA, would be for departing aircrafts from Runway 33.

Moreover, the FAA is conducting a six-month review following newly-implemented changes to the plan in order to ensure a minimized impact on affected communities, according to the announcement.

"I'm happy that the FAA has recognized the need to extend the public input period," Joyce said in a statement Monday. "The towns located underneath the southbound departure route path are already heavily impacted by the airplane noise and pollution. Extending the comment period will allow better community participation in this decision that will have a significant environmental impact on each of the towns located below these flight paths."

Residents looking to weigh in on the plan can submit comments via email to [email protected] or by sending a letter to:

Ms. Terry English
Project Manager, Boston Logan International
Airport Runway 33L RNAV SID Environmental Assessment
Federal Aviation Administration
11 Murphy Dr.
Nashua, NH 03062