Amazon drone delivery plans spark ‘serious concerns’

Mass. — The Westborough legislative delegation wants Amazon to keep its fleet of delivery drones grounded until the retail and technology giant addresses concerns about noise, privacy, and safety.

Amazon held a community meeting last week in Westborough to talk with residents about its proposed Amazon Prime Air drone delivery service, through which the company intends to deliver packages weighing less than 5 pounds by unmanned aircraft within a 7.5-mile radius of its Westborough fulfillment center. The company told Spectrum News that it hoped to begin making deliveries by drone before the end of this year.

Sen. Michael Moore and Reps. Hannah Kane and Kate Donaghue sent a letter Monday to Amazon, asking the company to pause its plan because “the overwhelming response of our constituents is one of serious concerns about the potential impacts commercial drone delivery operations will have on their community, including concerns related to noise, frequency of flights, flight path, operating hours, privacy, safety, drone cybersecurity, and environmental impacts.”

“While we appreciate that Amazon has made some efforts at outreach to share with both government officials and the public information about Amazon Prime Air’s operations, that outreach itself has caused some confusion about the intended scope of Amazon Prime Air’s operations. For example, questions remain about operating hours, flight paths, service range, and the number of drone flights per day,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is unfair to expect the community to fairly evaluate a proposal when key details remain undetermined.”

An Amazon official told Spectrum News last week that the company had participated in a handful of public meetings or hearings on the proposal, and would be back before the Westborough Planning Board on Oct. 6.

“Before, during, and after launching Prime Air in a new community, we engage directly with residents and local officials, as we’ve been doing in Massachusetts. We are grateful for the conversations we’ve had with Senator Moore and Representatives Kane and Donaghue in the last few weeks,” Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s vice president for economic development, said in a statement. “We are committed to working through the town’s process, and we look forward to continuing the conversation with local residents, elected officials, and community members in the surrounding area.”

The Moore, Kane and Donaghue letter mentioned Amazon’s efforts to secure Federal Aviation Administration permits for commercial drone delivery, but told the company that “a federal permit does not reflect the community’s trust and support.”

“Amazon has a history in Westborough through the operation of its existing fulfillment center and robotics facility – all undertaken in partnership with the Westborough community,” the lawmakers wrote. “More broadly, the approach undertaken by Amazon here will set the tone for future Amazon expansions in Massachusetts and the greater New England region. We urge Amazon to address these concerns raised by our constituents before moving forward.”

Amazon’s website lists 12 cities across the country where drone delivery is already available, as well as four more where the service is coming soon. The nearest active city to Massachusetts is Cleveland, Ohio.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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