Opinion: Yes, Teterboro Airport helps our economy. It also creates noise and pollution

Regarding: “Bergen County and North Jersey can't function without Teterboro Airport. It's essential,” NorthJersey.com, Sept. 4:

No one is disputing — or even questioning — the economic contribution Teterboro Airport makes to Bergen County and the surrounding region.

What we take issue with is the noise its traffic generates, the health hazards it creates and the lack of response from Teterboro officials, The Port Authority and the FAA to thousands of complaints from Bergen County residents who live in its flight path. Most days on average there are more than 150 planes — sometimes many more than that — flying 500 feet and less over people’s homes. They roar overhead as often as every 90 seconds during peak traffic times. Noise level has been repeatedly measured by homeowners at more than 80 decibels. They fly over schools, daycare centers, kindergartens and playgrounds.

You say in your letter that the FAA and Teterboro have developed and implemented new procedures to make use of less populated areas. You say they have taken steps to reduce noise and encourage “quiet flying” techniques and that they observe quiet hours between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Maybe so, but we in southern Bergen County see no evidence of any of that.

I live under a Teterboro flight path and I can tell you from daily experience that what you say in your letter is simply not true.

Pilots approaching the airport from the south could use a runway that goes over the Meadowlands, avoiding populated areas. They choose not to do so and Teterboro flight control goes along with that. I have complained repeatedly about flights at midnight, 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m., most recently last night. There is no quiet time.

You say “we should work together to find solutions that address noise issues while preserving the economic vitality that this critical infrastructure provides.” Teterboro officials, the Port Authority and the FAA give lip service to that concept. But the pilots’ wishes always take precedence. People who live anywhere near the airport flight paths suffer the increasing noise with no relief.

It’s a health hazard as has recently been documented. It can be fixed at the southern end of Teterboro by use of Runway 1 instead of Runway 6 for landings, something they have promised to do … maybe by next Spring. It’s something they could have done years ago. Still, we applaud that if it happens.

At the northern end of Teterboro, an alternate approach to Runway 19 has been developed and approved to route planes away from Hackensack Hospital and homes in northern Bergen County. That approach is very rarely used. Pilots don’t like it, we’re told.

As far as residents of my town are concerned, Teterboro has little regard for the health and well-being of its neighbors. They talk a good game but the money they bring in and the celebrities they entertain seem to be all that really matters.

Lois DiTommaso is a resident of Rutherford.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Opinion: Yes, Teterboro Airport helps our economy. It also creates noise and pollution