No New Details To Share, Says Mayor After Feds Ban Drones Over Edison, Metuchen

EDISON, NJ — The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary ban on drone flights over 22 New Jersey towns, including Edison and Metuchen until mid-January, the agency announced.

The restrictions were issued for "special security reasons," the FAA said, and will be in place until Jan. 17.

Read More Here: Feds Ban Drone Flights Over Multiple NJ Towns: See Where

The restrictions come after weeks of reports about drone flights all over New Jersey, including sightings over two military installations, Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County.

Reacting to the news, Metuchen Jonathan M Busch said that although he had several discussions with officials, he does not have more details to share with residents.

“Borough officials, like many of you, have been closely monitoring the drone activity in recent weeks, which has understandably caused confusion and unfortunately, at times, the spread of misinformation,” Busch said.

“I appreciate the FAA’s efforts to address this issue. While I’ve had numerous discussions with State officials since the initial sightings, we have received no details beyond safety assurances. If any additional relevant information becomes available, we will share it promptly.”

Under the current FAA restrictions, no drones — also called unmanned aircraft systems — are authorized except under special circumstances, including ones being flown by law enforcement or in support of "an act of national defense, homeland security, firefighting, or a disaster response mission," and commercial drones with a valid statement of work.

Drone pilots must have a special governmental interest airspace waiver and comply with all other federal aviation regulations, the FAA notice said.

Other Middlesex County towns included in this ban are North Brunswick and South Brunswick.

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