Aviation Noise and Emissions Mitigation Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 898 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 898

 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

                            January 31, 2025

 Mr. Smith of Washington (for himself, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Bonamici, Mr.
   Panetta, Ms. Norton, Mr. Quigley, and Ms. Jayapal) 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.
                                 <all>