Long Island Residents Seek Relief from Airport Noise
Residents in Long Island towns have been increasingly troubled by the noise of low-flying jets coming from John F. Kennedy Airport. Complaints about the racket have surged recently, prompting the town of Hempstead, along with three residents, to take legal action aimed at getting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to revise their noise impact maps.
The residents, along with local business owners, claim they’ve been subjected to an ‘unbearable noise and vibration’ ever since air travel to JFK increased significantly in 2022, as highlighted in the lawsuit.
The town’s lawyers noted that while airplane traffic surged following the Covid-19 pandemic, the current Noise Exposure Map (NEM) doesn’t accurately reflect this situation. It’s quite interesting—between April 2024 and April 2025, there were over 372,000 noise complaints linked to JFK. This is a sharp increase compared to more than 142,000 complaints recorded from December 2017 to December 2018.
Interestingly, the noise map published by the Port Authority appears to cover just a small number of homes in Valley Stream, which the lawsuit argues is based on outdated modeling scenarios. Town Attorney John Macaron expressed a sense of pride in standing up to what he described as ‘an overwhelming burden’ on residents’ quality of life.
He stated, “We will explore every avenue in our fight against this illegal burden on Hempstead’s health and well-being.” Earlier this year, Hempstead and North Hempstead initiated a separate legal challenge against the Federal Aviation Administration over similar noise issues, though that case faced setbacks.
Macaron mentioned that the town plans to meet with federal agencies to discuss alternative solutions, hoping to avoid more legal disputes. The majority of the complaints seem to revolve around the use of runway 22L, which the town argues represents a significant ongoing issue. In contrast, the Port Authority claims that the surge in runway usage isn’t permanent, a contention that’s being legally challenged.
The lawsuit elaborates on the importance of the NEM, as it establishes the boundaries for noise around airports. Properties falling within these noisy areas may qualify for sound mitigation measures, potentially including alterations to homes or adjustments to flight paths.
As of now, a representative from the Port Authority stated that they wouldn’t comment on the ongoing legal case.
