Petition is addressed to: Town of Nederland Board of Trustees

PETITION to Town of Nederland Board of Trustees: Address the Near-Constant, High Decibel Noise from Low-Flying Aircraft Over Nederland, Colorado

We, the undersigned residents of Nederland, Colorado and nearby communities ask the Town of Nederland Board of Trustees to demand that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) address the almost constant high-decibel noise and air pollution from low-elevation planes flying directly over our formerly quiet mountain community.

The FAA’s recently-implemented low-elevation “Next Gen” flight path from Denver International Airport (DIA) unacceptably places a disproportionate burden of the vast majority of westbound flights over our 1,500+ Nederland residents and 4,000+ area residents, despite living nearly 60 miles west of the airport.

Planes are now flying so low that the rumbling engines can be heard–or the vibrations even felt–inside homes with doors and windows closed. The noise is so loud outdoors it disrupts recreation and relaxation. It’s also worth considering the potential impact on sensitive wildlife species. 

During most of the day and evening (particularly over the summer), plane noise can be almost incessant, with one plane entering the air space right as another leaves. Throughout the day, there is often little more than a 1 to 3 minute interval between planes, and rarely do 5 minutes go by without high-decibel plane noise. It is estimated that up to 300 or more planes fly over our town on a daily basis, with little traffic going elsewhere from westbound DIA flights.  

What’s more, the DEN Capital Improvement Plan projects an alarming expansion of DIA passengers from 69.3 million in 2022 to 100 million in 2032 to 120+ million in 2045.

It’s important to note that the FAA did not inform or give meaningful opportunity for residents to address the new flight path prior to its implementation. 

Further, the required environmental studies were not completed or made available before implementation, raising serious concerns about the legality of this decision.

The implementation of this “Next-Gen” flight path has caused significant and ongoing harm to our Nederland community, including but not limited to:

1. Declining Property Values – Homeowners face financial hardship as property values go down, making Nederland increasingly unappealing to prospective buyers.

2. Violation of Legal Right to Quiet Enjoyment – The jarring noise that penetrates into homes with doors and windows closed is a violation of Coloradans’ legal “right to quiet enjoyment.” 

3. Loss of Peaceful Outdoor Spaces – Nederland is valued for its natural beauty and quiet mountain setting. Near-constant jet noise disrupts the ability to enjoy parks, trails, private backyards, and even wilderness areas, while negatively impacting the tourism economy.

4. Toxic Air pollution – Pollutants rain down from these low-flying planes. Airplanes emit gases (i.e. nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, etc.) and atmospheric particulates (incompletely burned hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, black carbon), interacting among themselves and with the atmosphere. Some non-commercial aircraft continue to use fuels laced with toxic lead.

5. Interrupted Sleep – Flights begin early in the morning and extend late into the night, depriving residents of consistent, restorative rest and harming public health.

6. Increased Stress and Anxiety – Numerous studies show that frequent aircraft noise contributes to elevated stress levels, anxiety, and decreased overall wellness.

7. Decline in Quality of Life – A once tranquil, nature-focused community now suffers from disruptions that erode the very qualities that draw people to live, work, and visit here.

Our Requests to the Town of Nederland Board of Trustees:

*Ask the FAA to immediately require that planes flying over Nederland and mountain areas climb to higher elevations (25,000 feet) before approaching.
*Ask the FAA to immediately re-evaluate the current “NextGen” flight path over Nederland.
*Ask the FAA to conduct a full environmental impact study and community consultation process on this path, as well as before deciding on any new or continued flight paths.
*Ask the FAA to adopt alternative routing that distributes air traffic more fairly and equitably, both by fanning out traffic and switching flight paths every year.

We, the undersigned, ask that Town of Nederland elected officials represent us by acting on our behalf to demand relief and a return to the quality of life that our residents deserve, without disproportionately burdening other Colorado communities.