UPDATE: Mayor, GOP Lawmakers 'Urging Swift Action' At Tweed Airport

EAST HAVEN, CT —East Haven's mayor and two of its state lawmakers penned a letter to Tweed New Haven Airport's director and the chiefs of Avports and Avelo Airlines to put all on notice that East Haven neighbors are fed up with jet engine noise, and the smell of jet fuel.

The letter signed by East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora, state Rep. Joseph Zullo and state Sen. Paul Circarella shares its, and neighbors' "quality of life concerns."

Namely, that since Avelo Airlines has significantly increased the number of flights per day heading to its now 14 non-stop destinations from its handful of inaugural flights to Florida only in November 2020.

"Neighbors living in the vicinity of Tweed New Haven Airport have been voicing their justifiable concerns about the negative impacts the increase in flights in and out of the airport are having."

"We hear them loud and clear," the letter dated Wednesday reads. "...the volume of flights has directly impacted the quality of life for those residing near the airport."

Saying they "recognize that we have no control over the increase in flights, we want to make sure that every attempt possible to mitigate their impact is being made," the officials wrote.

It appears that the letter is a follow-up to conversations that have already been had.

"As you are aware, and as you have already heard from each of us, we too are receiving more
complaints about increased noise throughout the day, and now unsettling plane noise
into the night," the letter reads. "We are also receiving complaints about the strong smell of jet fuel."

In an emailed reply, received Friday, Tweed Airport Authority executive director Sean Scanlon agreed that conversations with East Haven have been ongoing.

“We continue to engage in meaningful dialogue with East Haven elected officials and residents about their concerns and just last week we announced a major agreement with Avelo to address noise and air quality," he wrote.

The town and its representatives in the state General Assembly want the airport to do for East Haven what it's done for New Haven.

The airport's footprint lies in each community.

"We recognize there has been a significant investment in mitigation programs, from roofing and windows to air systems. But, to date, there seems to be an overwhelming investment on the New Haven side. We’re not begrudging the fact that our New Haven neighbors have received these benefits, we simply believe that more East Haven residents should be evaluated for, and ultimately receive, this same quality of life community aids."

East Haven is "eagerly" awaiting the completion of the Federal Aviation Administration-mandated Environmental Assessment which it says would "provide significant data, and ultimately guidance as to where federal aid will be directed."

But while waiting, East Haven is "urging swift action. "

Scanlon wrote in an email to Patch that the airport is "currently conducting a comprehensive Environmental Assessment to ensure that any changes at the airport fully comport with all environment rules and regulations.”

What East Haven wants

The town wants the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority to "implement an electronic early intervention/good neighbor reporting system."It's explained that the system would "allow neighbors to voice concerns directly to the authority and aid the authority in expeditiously responding to and addressing such concerns."

The letter reads that the system would provide the town, airport authority, Avports and Avelo with information on "where to proceed with informed action to address the quality-of-life issues that some are experiencing."

"While the Authority may have ideas for these types of information reporting/gathering systems, we suggest that platforms like 'See, Click, Fix' and other open-source platforms allow for this type of reporting," it's explained in the letter.

"We ask this so that there can be meaningful, but swift actions to address problems in real-time," the authors wrote.

Scanlon, in his emailed statement Friday, said that an online reporting tool already exists.

"The airport already has a widely used Community Concern online tool on our website and, as the letter notes," he said.

The town also demands that the Airport Authority "immediately implement the most stringent and comprehensive air quality monitoring program possible."

"While we understand regulations require only certain testing, we are recommending and requesting that you voluntarily implement monitoring that exceeds those standards," the letter reads. "After all, this is a neighborhood airport and its air quality impacts are of significant consequence for the immediate residential area. This is not an airport or airfield with a significant open space buffer between airport operations and residential areas."

They close reminding Scanlon et al. that the town is an "environmental justice community." Under state law, that means "protections, and 'meaningful public participation' are mandatory in many instances."

"We need your immediate assistance to address not only the short-term quality of life concerns being reported to us, but also to rebuild trust and improve communication so that our residents have a meaningful voice in your organizations’ undertakings," the letter reads.

Read the full letter here:

'Quality of Life Concer... by Ellyn Santiago

>