TESTIMONY
Mark Bearman, Park Slope Resident on the Deafening Noise and Economic Impact of Low-Flying Helicopters Over NYC
3:05:00
·
179 sec
Bearman testifies about the overwhelming noise from helicopters flying at extremely low altitudes over residential areas like his apartment in Park Slope.
- He provides evidence that helicopters produce sounds over 120 decibels when flying just 50 feet overhead, equivalent to a jet engine.
- He expresses disbelief that the Department of Environmental Protection claims inability to measure such noise levels.
- Bearman highlights the negative economic impact of the noise, causing lost productivity for himself and likely many others across the city.
- He critiques the proposed 'electronic helicopters' as still producing excessive noise at 300 feet based on tests.
- Bearman laments lack of action since testifying 2 years ago despite state legislature's attempt to shut down a Manhattan heliport, which was vetoed.
Mark Bearman
3:05:00
This is a screenshot of a helicopter flying over my apartment in Park Slope at approximately 50 feet above my building.
3:05:09
According to the FAA's reports, and and I'm shocked to hear the DEP the DEP said they don't know how to measure sound.
3:05:16
It's quite extraordinary.
3:05:18
Because Alexander Bell created decimal or measured decibels a 100 years ago.
3:05:22
And the FAA in a report called aircraft source noise measurement studies puts the bell 407 that was flying over my apartment at a 110 decibels at 200 feet.
3:05:36
At 50 feet, it's over a 120 the sound of a jet engine.
3:05:40
Now, I wanna speak to a couple of things that the the environment I'm sorry.
3:05:47
The the EDC testified about And one of the things I wanna say that I'm I'm shocked that is not a part of this.
3:05:54
I've I've I've owned my own business in New York for that 37 years.
3:05:58
I I I have apartment in in in parts So Brooklyn, I have a office in Lower Manhattan.
3:06:03
I can't focus.
3:06:04
I can't concentrate.
3:06:06
There is apparently no evaluation of the loss to New York City.
3:06:11
The massive economic loss to the hundreds of thousands of people like me that are losing productivity, people who are being having to lose days from sickness, from the from these deafening sounds, I think it's enormous.
3:06:24
I've played lots of UBT tax over the years.
3:06:26
I played lots of state and city tax.
3:06:28
So the other thing I did wanna speak to is this this this mythological thing of the the electronic helicopters.
3:06:37
So when they did that and there were some reports to the people who were president NASA when these were done and these tests were done, and what they revealed was that these helicopters flying at 300 feet produce a sound of the equivalent of someone standing on on a street sidewalk next to a highway that's going with cars going by fifty miles an hour.
3:06:58
There's plans to, from United, others, to turn this into a sorry.
3:07:02
I will just wrap it up and turn this into a a taxi lane across Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, which is going to make huge slats of this city, unlivable.
3:07:14
I heard the gentleman from the helicopter industry talk about 1500 feet.
3:07:19
These things are not flying at 1500 feet.
3:07:21
They're flying at 2 to 500 feet over our apartments, which is creating sounds if it's electronic, is also gonna be unlivable.
3:07:29
And I just wanna quickly say, I testified here 2 years ago, nothing has happened.
3:07:34
There was the the state the state legislature by large majority is passed to shut down the the hell the hella port.
3:07:40
Governor Hochul vetoed that for the false reason that that's the FAA.
3:07:44
And it's not true at all.
3:07:45
The the state had an absolute control to shut that down.
3:07:48
And it's unfortunate because this is impacting toddlers and children infants seniors that disabled, you know, people throughout New York City.
3:07:56
It's gotta stop, and I appreciate your efforts to do so.