SR1553 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1553 LRB099 20805 MST 45513 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly in 2003 approved Public Act 93-450 (HB 721: Currie/Jones), a bill to enact the O'Hare Modernization Act; this new Act made Illinois and its citizens equal partners in the O'Hare Airport Modernization Program that has been carried out by the Chicago Department of Aviation and its private-sector partners in the 13 years since 2003, including the voluntary Fly Quiet program for aircraft noise mitigation that was inaugurated in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Many of our constituents understand the importance of O'Hare International Airport to the economic life and health of greater Chicago, and are eager to push for aggressive noise reduction in the context of a healthy and thriving O'Hare Airport; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the November 2015 report of the Suburban O'Hare Commission, which includes over 20 recommendations to strengthen the "Fly Quiet" program and to reduce noise from newly-reconfigured runways at O'Hare International Airport; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Department of Aviation should develop a more comprehensive, aggressive Fly Quiet program, including the development of a Continuous Descent Approach, a review of Noise Abatement Department Procedures, the act of maintaining at least 2 operating runways and leaving a third runway open during Fly Quiet hours, including at least one diagonal runway, and the operating use of a Runway Rotation Plan, to disperse airport noise effects during Fly Quiet hours; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Department of Aviation should revise and strengthen the Fly Quiet Program Manual and operating procedures to create a pathway toward partial compliance with Fly Quiet during non-optimal weather conditions, and better familiarity between air traffic controllers and Fly Quiet principles; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Fly Quiet Program Manual should be studied and revised at regular, periodic intervals; these reviews should include, but not be limited to, the assessment of departure paths and headings from O'Hare's newest runways and determine the best runway configurations, with the goal of directing flights over less-populated areas and reducing population impacts; and be it further

RESOLVED, That stakeholders should work together to study and implement Fly Quiet Program Manual voluntary operating procedures outside of normal Fly Quiet hours; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Department of Aviation should make every effort to work with its private partners to discourage and phase down the use of older and noisier aircraft, including but not limited to the MD-80 and DC-10 aircraft, on a 24/7 basis but especially during Fly Quiet hours; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Department of Aviation should enhance the report card program to measure and publicly report on the noise mitigation performance metrics posted by airlines and air cargo operators throughout the 24/7 day, but especially with respect to operations during Fly Quiet hours; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Mayor of Chicago, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, the CEO of American Airlines, and the CEO of United Airlines.