Key facts
- Lawmakers requested a new environmental review for Amazon's drone hub near Boston.
- Concerns include noise, health, safety, and privacy impacts.
- 15 states and a Texas county previously sued the FAA over drone delivery rules.
A group of Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a new environmental review before allowing an Amazon Prime Air drone delivery hub to be located about 30 miles west of Boston. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with Representatives Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan, wrote to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford citing community concerns about the planned Westborough hub's impact on the environment and residents' quality of life, including noise pollution, health, safety, and privacy. The FAA stated it would respond directly to the lawmakers, and Amazon did not immediately comment. This request follows a lawsuit filed on September 28 by 15 states and a Texas county against the FAA over its environmental review of planned commercial drone package delivery rules. The FAA had issued a broad environmental review in July that allows qualifying drone operators to launch fleets without a site-specific environmental analysis, a decision the suing parties argue violated the law by failing to adequately analyze potential environmental impacts.