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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 19 September 2020

Watchdog: FAA not prepared to update jet evacuation rules

By TOM KRISHER tee blamed the crashes on
DETROIT (AP) — The Fed- failed FAA oversight, design
eral Aviation Administration flaws and a lack of action
hasn't updated standards at Boeing. It questioned
for emergency airliner whether the FAA and Boe-
evacuations in nearly two ing would be willing to
decades, a period when make changes needed
travelers have increasingly to fix problems that led to
had to deal with tighter air- the crashes in Indonesia
craft seats, more carry-on and Ethiopia that killed 346
bags and support animals, people.
a government watchdog In July of 2018, the FAA
says. rejected the idea of set-
The Transportation Depart- ting minimum standards
ment's Inspector General for airline seats and leg-
said in an audit report re- room as a safety measure.
leased Friday that the FAA The FAA said it saw no im-
and hasn't done enough mediate safety issue that
research to evaluate the requires new regulations,
new risks. In addition, it says citing seven recent acci-
the FAA largely only up- dents in which passengers
dates standards after ac- were able to evacuate.
cidents and hasn't revised This June 19, 2015, file photo, shows the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administra- But last year the agency
them since a 1991 acci- tion building in Washington. said it would begin tests to
dent. Associated Press determine if jam-packed
"This lack of data inhibits planes, smaller seats and
FAA's ability to determine standards need to be available for successful wasn't shut off before pas- tighter rows slow emergen-
how to improve evacua- changed. The agency also evacuations, as demon- sengers exited, and pas- cy evacuations.
tion regulations and pro- should make sure that data strated in many accidents," sengers took bags off the A dramatic difference
tect passenger safety in used in airplane manufac- the FAA wrote. plane, the report said. would presumably be rea-
emergencies," the report turers' evacuation demon- The inspector general is- The FAA memo said the son for FAA to set more
said. strations is up to date. sued the report in response audit report overstated generous minimum stan-
It's also hampering the The FAA agreed with both to a request from members the 90-second evacua- dards for the airlines to fol-
FAA's response to 2018 of the Inspector General's of the House Transporta- tion standard because it low. An FAA rulemaking
mandates by Congress recommendations, the au- tion Committee, which fol- doesn't take into account panel will use that data to
that the agency evaluate dit report said. lowed a confused evacua- other standards and re- help set seating standards
evacuation procedures But in a memo responding tion in 2016 of an American quirements "that have pro- for airlines.
and set minimums for seat to the report, the FAA said Airlines jet in Chicago after duced significantly safer The average American
sizes and the distance be- it has enacted increasingly an engine fire. aircraft cabins," the memo adult is about 10 pounds
tween rows, the report said. rigorous cabin safety re- FAA regulations require jet said. (4 1/2 kilograms) heavier
The FAA also doesn't ac- quirements over the years manufacturers to demon- An FAA spokesman had no than just two decades
count for smoke in emer- including tougher stan- strate that all passengers additional comment. ago, according to govern-
gencies, or the use of per- dards for exit pathways, and crew members be The audit report caps a ment figures, and airlines
sonal electronic devices, emergency lighting, es- able to exit airplanes within bad week for the agency, are squeezing more pas-
the report concluded. cape systems, flammability 90 seconds. But in the 2016 which on Wednesday was sengers into the economy
The Inspector General rec- of materials and testing of case, it took 2 minutes and harshly criticized in a U.S. cabin to make more room
ommended that the FAA seats. 11 seconds, according to House committee report for high-paying custom-
regularly collect and ana- "These system requirements the audit. on two deadly crashes ers in business class. That
lyze emergency evacu- have increased survivabil- Flight attendants couldn't involving the Boeing 737 means tighter rows in the
ation data to find out if ity and the amount of time contact pilots, an engine Max jetliner. The commit- back of the plane.q

New Jersey law seeks to stem pollution in minority areas

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Gov. mental justice legislation. mostly Black residents. known as Juneteenth, the They're defined as census
Phil Murphy signed into law He signed the bill alongside Advocates for the legisla- holiday commemorating tracts where 35% of the
Friday a measure giving state lawmakers and U.S. tion hailed it as long over- word of the Emancipation population has low income,
state regulators power to Sen. Cory Booker, who has due. The measure has been Proclamation reaching Af- or where 40% of households
deny development permits introduced similar legisla- pending since 2008. rican Americans in Texas in are minority or have limited
to businesses whose opera- tion in Washington. "We don't want to be ca- 1865. English proficiency.
tions pollute predominantly The new law in New Jer- naries in the coal mine any- The legislation requires the There are more than 300
Black and other minority sey — which is the frequent more," said Maria Lopez- Department of Environ- towns accounting for half
communities. butt of jokes for its factories Nunez, a deputy director at mental Protection to evalu- the state's population that
Murphy, a Democrat, cast and pollution and leads Newark's Ironbound Com- ate public health and en- fit the bill, Murphy said.
the legislation in sweep- the country in the number munity Corporation. "We vironmental effects when The law gives regulators the
ing terms, calling it historic of Superfund sites — aims to don't want to just survive in certain businesses like authority to deny permits in
and saying it amounted address years of businesses our communities. We want power plants, incinerators, such instances for the first
to a"monumental reform" putting incinerators, refin- to thrive." sewage treatment facilities time. Current law applies
that puts New Jersey at eries and other businesses The measure arrived on and trash-processing plants broadly and makes it dif-
the forefront nationally of that foul the air and wa- Murphy's desk after he pub- apply for permits in certain ficult to deny permits, ac-
what is known as environ- ter in cities and towns with licly supported it June 19, communities. cording to state officials.q