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Massachusetts delegation presses FAA to assess Amazon’s Westborough drone hub
Four members of Congress are urging Amazon and the FAA to assess the environmental effects of the company’s proposed Westborough drone-delivery operation before it begins. The plan has also drawn opposition from residents and the town’s legislative delegation over noise, privacy and safety concerns.
Four Massachusetts members of Congress are calling for a site-specific environmental review of Amazon’s proposed drone-delivery operation at its fulfillment center in Westborough before the company begins flights.
Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan sent separate letters Wednesday to the Federal Aviation Administration and Amazon, asking the company to work with the FAA on an environmental assessment. Amazon hopes to start deliveries before the end of the year.
The lawmakers argued that federal approval of drone fleets without assessments tailored to each site fails to account for differences between communities. Their concerns include aircraft noise and environmental impacts, as well as the risks of transporting hazardous materials.
They also cited an independent survey that received 1,200 responses; 92% of respondents opposed the proposed Westborough facility. The figure reflects those who answered the survey, not necessarily the views of all Westborough residents.
Amazon’s proposed Prime Air service would use unmanned aircraft to deliver packages weighing less than five pounds to locations within a 7.5-mile radius of its Otis Street fulfillment center. The company held a community meeting in Westborough last month to discuss the proposal.
The town’s legislative delegation has separately urged Amazon to pause its plans. State Sen. Michael Moore and state Reps. Hannah Kane and Kate Donaghue cited residents’ concerns about noise, flight frequency and routes, operating hours, privacy, safety, cybersecurity and environmental effects.
Amazon lists 12 U.S. cities where drone delivery is available and four more where it is planned. Cleveland is the closest active service area to Massachusetts. The company has said it wants to expand airborne deliveries to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities.