January 14, 2019
FAiR - A LOOK BACK AT 2018
(AND WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR 2019)
Dear FAiR Member,
As we hit the ground running in 2019 with our continued fight for quieter skies and better quality of life, we are proud to share some of our accomplishments in 2018:
We solidified FAiR’s non-profit status. This is critical in our fight and allows us to take a more powerful stand.
We formed a new Board and three new committees to sharpen our focus and accomplish more in key areas. These teams concentrate on membership, operations, and political initiatives.
We visited over 15 communities and presented residents with information on FAiR, future impacts of the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP), and proposed solutions to reduce noise. It is clear the concern over the O’Hare expansion is growing, and residents feel past efforts have not done enough to mitigate this problem.
We met with officials from many of the cities surrounding O’Hare to discuss alternative, collaborative solutions for noise mitigation. We have commitment from most of them to participate in a round table to address more effective ways to provide relief to communities.
We partnered with a major university to begin a sound study. The current acceptable noise level standards in the U.S. are well above the global standard and are known to be hazardous to human health. This effort will give us a better understanding of true noise impacts on affected communities.
We campaigned to raise funds and increase FAiR membership. This included a direct mail to Wood Dale and Park Ridge, as well as the distribution of FAiR business cards and informational brochures in many communities. Because of the generous donations by members, we tripled our funds, so we can educate more residents and seek legal guidance. With the clock ticking, we still have a large financial goal to meet in order to commence legal action.
We will continue our fight in 2019 and focus on:
·Continuing to collaborate with officials from negatively impacted communities
·Devising a proposed operational plan that will help reduce noise
·Working with other regional and national groups to influence federal legislation
·Securing additional funds to start legal action
We still need all the help we can get! What can you do?
·Volunteer time to support one of FAiR’s committees
·Contact your city/state/federal elected officials to ask for legislative support protecting residents from excessive airport noise and pollution
·Support our fight by donating to FAiR
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