Dear Supporters,
As we previously shared, the FAA released on December 11 its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the flight path changes at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). The draft EA is available HERE.
BUR is having their monthly meeting for January tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 9 a.m. Meeting agenda is HERE.
The agenda includes an effusive proposed comment letter from BUR on the EA, praising the FAA on its "thorough and compelling" analysis, and encouraging the FAA to implement the Alternatives (i.e., the NextGen flight paths), but also to "reinstate the historical flight procedures and flight patterns" at BUR "to the extent possible".
Please go in person or call (818) 862-3332 tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 a.m. SHARP and make a short (1 to 2 minute) public comment on AGENDA ITEM 5.F.
Suggested talking points from UproarLA and Studio City For Quiet Skies are below. We also plan to share a suggested comment for submission to the FAA on the draft EA soon.
Thank you for your support.
UproarLA team
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS
TELL THE BUR PHONE OPERATOR:
I would like to make a public comment on Agenda Item 5.F - Comment Letter on Draft Environmental Assessment for Proposed Hollywood Burbank Airport Departure Procedure Amendments.
START YOUR COMMENT WITH:
I have reviewed BUR's proposed comment on the FAA's draft Environmental Assessment and request that you make changes to your proposed comment.
THEN CHOOSE ONE (OR MORE IF TIME ALLOWS):
Thank you for mentioning in your proposed comment that BUR encourages the FAA to reinstate the historical flight patterns, but the Alternatives in the draft EA are not the former flight paths from before the "southern shift" in 2017. If BUR wants to be a good neighbor and encourage the FAA to reinstate the historical flight patterns, BUR should reject this draft EA entirely OR support Alternative B ONLY if it includes the modifications of an EARLY turn off the runway and dispersal. Early turns are still available to BUR by use of Diverse Vector Areas. In addition, please put the same request on the FAA's IFP Gateway system to reflect a modified Alternative B. Van Nuys Airport put a similar request on the IFP Gateway system 3 years ago following the Task Force guidelines.
Please revise your comment to address the actual flight path changes and to help the community you have been torturing for 6 YEARS now. BUR can do this easily by expressly rejecting Alternative A and the "No Action Alternative", and by accepting Alternative B ONLY if it includes the following modifications: EARLY turns off the runway, which are still available to BUR by use of Diverse Vector Areas; as well as dispersal. The community would support Alternative B with these express and required modifications.
Alternative A is the FAA's Settlement Agreement with Benedict Hills, which is the same as the "Proposed Procedures" from 2018 that the community has already strongly rejected, and which led to the Environmental Assessment and the Task Force. Based on BUR's participation in the Task Force, BUR should expressly reject Alternative A in its comment.
If BUR submits this proposed comment supporting Alternative B as drafted, please note that Alternative B as drafted does NOT satisfy "Purpose and Need" for the Benedict Hills Settlement Agreement. If BUR edits its support of Alternative B to include required EARLY turns off the runway, which are still available to BUR by use of Diverse Vector Areas, it WILL simultaneously satisfy our community and "Purpose and Need" for Benedict Hills, a win-win.
The draft EA presents no real alternatives as written. Alternative B is the same as Alternative A, but without waypoints and with a higher climb gradient, and the "No Action Alternative" is functionally the same as Alternative A, but without waypoints. Without modifications to Alternative B for a required early turn off the runway and dispersal, BUR should reject this EA as drafted because it does not solve the drastic noise and pollution problems that occurred when FAA moved the paths south over our communities. Nothing will change.
The Alternatives in the draft EA, including the "No Action Alternative", send your departures through the heart of our communities and do not reflect historical procedures.