[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1048 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1048
To develop pilot grant programs through the Environmental Protection
Agency to research and collect data on aircraft and airport noise and
emissions and to use such information and data to develop a mitigation
strategy, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2023
Mr. Smith of Washington introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To develop pilot grant programs through the Environmental Protection
Agency to research and collect data on aircraft and airport noise and
emissions and to use such information and data to develop a mitigation
strategy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Aviation Noise and Emissions
Mitigation Act''.
SEC. 2. NOISE AND AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency in consultation with Secretary of Transportation and
other relevant Federal agencies determined by the Administrator, shall
establish a 3-year pilot grant program with eligible entities to
measure noise and emissions, including greenhouse gases, particulate
matter, ultrafine particles, and air toxics, in communities near
airports or air flight pathways using sophisticated methods and
technology that allow tracing of noise and emissions to specific
sources such as aircraft and airport related noise and emissions near
such communities, including identifying specific neighborhoods,
structures, or areas impacted by such noise and emissions.
(b) Grant Activities.--Recipients of grants under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) use technology capable of producing data that can be
used for wedge analysis to decipher the sources of noise and
emissions so communities may better understand the primary
contributors of noise and emissions;
(2) make every reasonable effort to establish a program
that can be easily replicated across the country with the goal
of ongoing data collection and monitoring in areas near
airports or air flight pathways;
(3) produce neighborhood and ZIP Code-level data for a
designated area to be used to determine or predict the level
and impact of noise and emissions on certain neighborhoods and
ZIP Codes of such area, and to identify frontline and
disproportionately impacted communities;
(4) coordinate and regularly communicate with the local
clean air agency (or agencies, if applicable), local public
health departments, local metropolitan planning organizations,
Indian Tribal governments, community based organizations, and
other local government, State government, or non-profit
entities as the grantee determines useful to the project;
(5) work with community-based organizations, some of which
may be selected for a grant under section 2, to assist in
developing a mitigation abatement strategy for communities,
neighborhoods, or areas impacted by aircraft or airport noise
and emissions;
(6) establish a clear plan for disseminating the data and
results of the program on an regular basis; and
(7) consult initially and throughout the process with the
public and relevant community-based organizations or local
governments on the design and execution of the noise and
emissions monitoring program.
(c) Eligible Entities.--An institution of higher education or other
non-profit research entity, health institution, or local government
with demonstrated experience in conducting either or both aviation
noise or emissions research is eligible to receive a grant under this
section. The Administrator may award not more than 6 awards under this
section.
(d) Grant Award Amount.--The Administrator may award a grant under
this section to an eligible entity of not less than $2,500,000 and not
more than $5,000,000 for the 3-year grant period.
(e) Annual Report.--A grantee under the section shall submit an
annual report to the Administrator regarding the research conducted and
any findings. The Administrator shall make such reports publicly
available.
SEC. 3. MITIGATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the submission of
the final annual report submitted under section 1(e), the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the
Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation,
or other relevant Federal agencies as determined by the Administrator,
shall establish a pilot grant program to mitigate aircraft or airport
noise and emissions, and their impacts, in communities near airports
and air flight pathways.
(b) Grant Requirements.--
(1) Priority.--The Administrator shall prioritize and
provide guidance and technical assistance to applicants
applications that--
(A) focus on communities found to be
disproportionately impacted by aviation noise or
emissions identified in the research produced under the
section 1 grant;
(B) primarily benefit disadvantaged communities and
communities with a higher prevalence of diseases
associated with environmental exposures; and
(C) demonstrate community support and involvement
from affected communities in their proposed program.
(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an applicant shall be a local community-based
non-profit organization, a consortium of community-based non-
profit organizations from a community that participated in the
noise and emissions monitoring program under section 1, a local
public health department, or a local or Indian Tribal
government. If the recipient is a public health department or
local or Indian Tribal government, the recipient shall
demonstrate community support for the program and how it plans
to partner with at least 1 non-profit community-based
organization.
(3) Mitigation strategy.--An applicant shall demonstrate in
its application how the--
(A) research conducted under section 1 informs its
proposed project design;
(B) proposed project addresses environmental or
health disparities and the needs and concerns of
affected communities, disadvantaged communities, or
other communities facing environmental justice
concerns, including how the applicant used the Climate
and Economic Justice Screening Tool or other similar
environmental justice mapping tool to effectively
target mitigation strategies;
(C) applicant incorporated input from affected
communities in its proposed program, demonstrated
community support for the proposed program, and has
established a written plan detailing how the applicant
will maintain ongoing engagement with the affected
communities; and
(D) applicant intends to partner or coordinate with
relevant local organizations, government entities, and
service providers such as local public health
departments, Indian Tribal governments, community
health centers, and local education authorities,
depending on the mitigation plan.
(4) Use of funds.--Funds under the grant program shall be
used to mitigate the impacts of aircraft or airport noise and
emissions on communities near airports or air flight pathways,
including establishing 1 or more of the following:
(A) Noise mitigation packages that may include
weatherization, retrofitting, or energy efficiency
upgrades that have noise reduction, environmental, or
health benefits for households, schools, or other
facilities, prioritizing low-income households and low-
resourced communities and facilities, and structures
that are less likely to be eligible for other similar
Federal resources.
(B) Programs to promote environmental and public
health services in impacted communities, including
programs that address the disproportionate effects of
climate change on environmental justice communities.
(C) Health care services and environmental and
public health interventions that address underlying
impacts from airport noise and pollution on health and
quality of life, especially in children, vulnerable
populations, disadvantaged communities, and communities
of color.
(5) Duration.--A grant under this section shall be not less
than 3 years and not more than 5 years as determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(c) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) After 1st year.--One year after the awarding of grants
under this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator
shall submit a report to the Committees on Energy and Commerce
and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Environment and Public
Works and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
on the activities of the grant programs to include--
(A) the services provided and their targeted
beneficiaries (including households, schools, other
facilities, children, adults, seniors);
(B) the steps taken by the grantee to engage the
public and impacted communities during execution of the
grant;
(C) a breakdown of the areas served under the grant
and if and how such areas align with locations
identified under section 1; and
(D) aggregate information about the communities,
households, and individuals benefitting from the
services provided under the grant, including a
breakdown of the demographic information and
socioeconomic status of individuals and households.
(2) After 3d year.--Three years after awarding of the first
grant under this section, the agency shall submit a report to
the congressional committees referred to in paragraph (1) to
include--
(A) an assessment of the grant program's ability to
meet its goal of mitigating airport and aviation noise
and emissions;
(B) potential lessons learned to inform future
efforts to address the impacts of noise and emissions
in communities near airports and air flight pathways;
and
(C) a review of how levels and impact of noise and
pollution from airports and air flight pathways can be
incorporated into the Climate and Economic Justice
Screening Tool or other similar environmental justice
mapping tool used by the Government.
(3) Input in report.--The report under this subsection
shall be completed with input from grantees and affected
communities.
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