Multiple simultaneous overflights are continuous
Have you noticed the noise from the low flying aircraft over our local residential neighborhoods? Have you noticed that most of the noise comes from the SAME aircraft repetitively overflying us? Have you noticed the aircraft flyovers; Days starting at 8 AM, nights even 9 PM, 10 PM and occasionally 1AM in the morning?
Lead exposure is cumulative, there is no safe level of lead
Please be informed and take action to stop the situation from getting worse and to mitigate the existing detrimental impact on our quality of life and children's health.
Children — and adults — are at a higher risk for lead poisoning if they are within 1500 feet of aircraft operation where leaded aviation gas is used.
What we know
This Issue is persistent and growing. If you care about our local Canton community Quality of life and the environment please read on!
“The science is clear: Exposure to lead and Noise can cause irreversible and lifelong health effects in children. Not so great for adults either!
Aircraft that use leaded fuel are the dominant source of lead emissions in our air.”
The Science is clear, for reference and please do research for yourselves:
Facts:
- if you notice, the majority of the low flying aircraft are repeated flyovers of the same aircraft
- These aircraft are using leaded fuel, outlawed in cars over 25 years ago. The lead is contaminating the areas these planes transit. Lead contamination has been found less than 1500 feet from aircraft operation
- These aircraft transit directly over our neighborhoods, the Kennedy and Hansen elementary schools and playgrounds well within 100 - 1000 feet directly above our children!
- If you monitor the aircraft flying over and particularly loud, repetitive and intrusive ones: Few if any of the aircraft are over Norwood most all are over Canton and some of Westwood, these aircraft have been specifically directed to "NOT FLY OVER THE TOWN OF NORWOOD" by the Airport Management to mitigate the noise and lead pollution for Norwood!
- It appears that its OK for the Norwood Airport Management and the flight schools to pollute our Canton families and children but not Norwoods.
- Sometimes the aircraft are separated by less than 2 min, on many occasions, there are 3-5 aircraft simultaneously repetitively flying over our residential neighborhoods, playgrounds and schools. These aircraft are practicing touch and go landings and takeoffs
- The majority of these aircraft are owned by a company called "Plane Nonsense" and are operated by East Coast Aero club, helicopters are operated by Blue Hill Helicopter, all are "For profit" businesses.
- ECAC - East Coast Aero Club has current litigation against it by residents in other towns for the same issues!!! Please see: litigation with ECAC - you can find scroll down this page and find the complaint: https://trellis.law/case/25017/2481cv02938/mccoy-david-et-al-vs-east-coast-aero-club-inc-et-al. ECAC and co-defendants removed the suit to federal court, but Judge Denise Casper returned it to MA Superior Court. We do not have a new docket number yet, but you can read her judgement here: https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/56290134/McCoy_et_al_v_new_england_aeronautics_inc
- We are starting to see more small helicopters being operated repetitively over our residential neighborhoods as well! there is no need for this at all, helicopters can certainly and easily fly over the non residential areas in our proximity.
- Two other flight schools, helicopter operations their associated aircraft at Norwood airport (operated by the town of Norwood) are all making money at the expense of our Canton residents; Piece of mind, health, ability to enjoy our homes and property. And if your working from home, to be able to be successfully engaged with our careers.
- Numerous Canton residents have complained to the Norwood airport manager. There has been no response from the Norwood Airport management to well over 120 complaints. (FOIA records have been acquired from the town of Norwood to verify the complaint number)
- There is no Airport guidance board in existence with surrounding town representation, thus the Norwood Airport commission is making all decisions as to Airport operations and its effects on the surrounding communities.
- The noise abatement policy has not been updated in over 20 years (1997) and does not consider Canton or other surrounding towns
- We have no idea if there even exists a health impact report or other information covering lead exposure to our neighborhoods!
- The Airport is closed and the control tower is unmanned at night, yet, pilots are allowed to practice landing takeoffs and low level passes over Canton residential areas late at night, 9, 10 PM and even at 1 AM in the morning.
- We live in an area with Highways, golf courses, industrial parks, shopping malls, car dealerships. Plenty of Non-residential areas to overfly. There are no reasons why training flights, noise and lead contamination have to be over our Canton neighborhoods. If Proximity to the runway or landing area is a reason, all of the above are closer to the airport than our neighborhoods. Aircraft cannot land on our residential street or school yards! Our local hi-ways were designed to be able to handle aircraft landings and take offs!
- Additionally the Norwood Airport is surrounded by the Neponset River Watershed, a very sensitive environmental wetland that flows into Boston Harbor. The proposed expansion project will add more impermeable material, more pollution to wetlands, increase global warming.
NOTE: Monitoring the aircraft is easy with any of a number of FREE websites or mobile APPs. Please see below for information.
Additional tower exchanges of interest:
- When calling the control tower to complain about the continuous flyovers on a weekend: Tower: Stop calling the tower, all noise complaints need to go to the airport manager. Our Response: " The airport manager is not available evenings, weekends and does not respond at all", Tower: "dont call again"
Conclusions that can be made based on above:
Complete lack of responsiveness on complaints from the Norwood Airport Operations and commission is intentional
There is no representation of local towns on the Airport advisory / other board. Decisions regarding the safe operation of the Norwood airport appear to be made without consideration of the surrounding towns local residents quality of life, health well being or their ability to make a living.
Looks to be that Norwood Airport and East coast Aero Club are Operating and supporting a business at the expense of others health, well being and pursuit of quality of life. This is mainly for the benefit of elite aircraft and helicopter owners at the expense of local residents health and quality of live.
It appears that the safety, wellbeing and health of Canton families and our children have not been considered by the Norwood Airport management.
BE AWARE!
The Norwood Airport is looking to lengthen their runways SOON!
There is a lot to this and we have not found any Town of Canton leadership that has seen, commented or approved these plans?
This will only lead to larger aircraft, additional noise, more lead contamination of our environment and more infringement on our town‘s resident's quality of Life.
This has not been discussed at town meetings nor have the residents of Canton been allowed to vote on this!
We in Canton have not had the ability to address this and are not part of any commission governing the airport and its operation.
This must be stopped and the current situation mitigated.
Other Towns are facing similar issues. Please see: https://www.saveourskiesalliance.org/massachusetts.html
Small sample of intrusive overflights impacting our Local Schools, playgrounds and our Neighborhoods
