PUBLICATION: Times Newspapers Limited
DATE: August 31, 1997
SECTION: Home news
BYLINE: Cherry Norton
DATELINE: England and Wales
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Nick Raynsford, Housing Minister; Ashley Taylor, student, age 12
The Times Newspapers Limited reports that the government of the United Kingdom has given local authorities and housing associations in England and Wales the power to seek an injunction for the arrest of rowdy tenants. The new rules allow offenders to be arrested and charged with a breach of the peace or of their tenancy agreement, and prostitutes and drug-dealers will lose their tenancies, the article says. Neighbors who are arrested could spend a night in jail and appear in court the following morning.
According to the article, the previous noise regulations required neighbors to call the local council and ask noise inspectors to investigate their complaint. If the noise offenders continued their behavior, neighbors often had to wait months for court proceedings before the council could evict the troublemakers. Neighbors have increasingly turned to court actions to solve the problem, but this has proved costly and time-consuming, the article reports. In addition, the article says, local authorities have become increasingly frustrated by the difficulties in enforcing the current law. More and more neighbors are refusing to testify in court against their noisy neighbors because they are being intimidated by the noise offenders.
The article goes on to say that the new measures are an extension of the 1996 Housing Act, which gave local authorities powers to tackle antisocial behaviour. Officials from the Labour party said the party wants to continue the war on "noise pollution" started by the Tories, and these measures are responding to that issue. Nick Raynsford, the Housing Minister, said in a speech, "The government is determined to tackle antisocial behaviour. The measures coming into force further strengthen the existing powers available to local authorities and other social landlords to deal with troublemakers on housing estates, whether they are tenants or not, who make life hell for the majority of ordinary law-abiding tenants."
The article points out that tens of thousands of people in Great Britain experience reduced quality of life from noise and other antisocial behavior of neighbors. The new measures will be be welcomed by campaigners against noise pollution, the article says. One such campaigner, Ashley Taylor, age 12, urged his local council in Bournemouth, Dorset this year to evict his noisy neighbors because they were interfering with his school studies.
PUBLICATION: The Idaho Statesman
DATE: August 31, 1997
SECTION: Local; Pg. 2b
BYLINE: Kendra Martinez
DATELINE: Boise, Idaho
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Shirley Randolph, resident
The Idaho Statesman reports that the Salvation Army in Boise, Idaho is fighting a directive from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission to build a 10-foot masonry wall at its State Street store to shield nieghbors from noise. The Salvation Army plans to take its case to the Boise City Council on Sept. 9, the article says.
According to the article, the city's Planning and Zoning commissioners said the wall was essential for establishing peace in the area. Salvation Army officials want to expand their parking lot and loading area and to use outside storage along the north side of their property line. Because the area is zoned for single-family homes and development, the Planning and Zoning commissioners said guidelines should be followed if any more changes are made at the site. But according to Tom Petersen, area coordinator for the non-profit organization, "We cannot afford to build a $20,000 structure."
Meanwhile, neighbors support the concept of a wall. Resident Shirley Randolph said, "There is a lot of trash and noise surrounding the building. They are a business infringing on the neighborhood. And we are tired of putting up with it." Randolph added, "If they want to add more noise and more items to their lot, they should take the precautions to do it right." A chain link fence currently surrounds the back lot, the article notes, but neighbors say it isn't enough.
Petersen said that some of the problems are beyond the organization's control because people who do not want to take their items to the dump, leave them at the store after it's closed, the article says. He said, "We have a donation collection trailer and even though a posted sign warns people not to dump their illegal items with us, they still do." People even leave torn mattresses, tires, and hazardous waste materials at the store's location, he said. The article concludes that the Salvation Army has offered to move the collection trailer, but residents insist a solid wall is the only solution.
PUBLICATION: The Baltimore Sun
DATE: September 2, 1997
SECTION: Local (News), Pg. 3B, City/County Digest
DATELINE: Towson, Maryland
The Baltimore Sun reports that the County Council in Towson, Maryland, outside Baltimore, will vote tonight on whether to spend up to $2.3 million for noise barriers along a portion of Interstate 95 in Arbutus and the Beltway near Lutherville.
According to the article, the noise barrier project is expected to cost an estimated $9.5 million. The county's share is expected to be $1.9 million, and that money would come from local bond money. The noise barriers would eventually be located along 12,000 feet of I-95 between Metropolitan and Southwestern boulevards, and 5,900 feet of the Beltway between Joppa and Thornton roads, where work has already begun.
PUBLICATION: The Recorder
DATE: September 2, 1997
SECTION: Court Watch; Pg. 4
BYLINE: Mike McKee
DATELINE: San Francisco, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ken Varner, Cypress Lawn Cemetery president and chief executive officer
The Recorder reports that the Cypress Lawn Cemetery Association in the San Francisco, California area has filed a lawsuit against BART (a rail transportation authority) and the San Mateo County Transit District at the San Mateo County Superior Court. The suit claims the transportation authorities violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to address ways to reduce or eliminate noise, vibrations, dust, landscaping scars, and architectural damage on the cemetery's property that borders BART's eight-mile planned extension to the San Francisco International Airport.
The article reports that Rollin Chippey II, the cemetery's attorney, wrote in the lawsuit that the cemetery provides a "tranquil and serene environment" where people "pay homage to their departed loved ones." The suit alleges that "The unmitigated significant environmental impacts created by the airport extension project will interrupt burial and cremation services, inhibit the steady flow of visitors to Cypress Lawn, disturb those persons who routinely visit family members interred and impair the integrity of existing grave sites and structures." In addition, the suit says Cypress Lawn is a "great art and architectural treasure" and is the final resting place of more than 300,000 people, including "important sportsmen, musicians, writers, businesspeople, architects and other notable persons in the history of California and the American West." According to the article, the lawsuit asks that the environmental impact report and the project approval of the transportation authorities be nullified. Ken Varner, cemetery president and chief executive officer, said, "Cypress Lawn is not asking for any special treatment here. We filed suit . . . because we were unable to achieve resolution to our disagreements after months of negotiating with BART and because BART went ahead with putting the project out to bid."
The article goes on to say that Mike Healy, a spokesperson for BART, said that the agency has fully complied with the California Environmental Quality Act, and that the property in dispute has been a railroad right-of-way for most of the past century. Healy added, "The property in question does not house any graves. It is quite a distance from any graves, in fact. It's just for landscaping. . . . Railroads ran through that very same site while Cypress was there for about 100 years. They are basically wanting to use it now as bargaining leverage."
PUBLICATION: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
DATE: September 2, 1997
SECTION: Local/State, Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Tabatha Barham
DATELINE: Venice, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: David Farley, City Councillor
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that Venice, Florida City Councillor David Farley is lobbying for the city to consider moving the city's general aviation airport to another location to eliminate neighbors' noise complaints and free up the prime waterfront property on which the airport is located. The article points out that such a project would require approvals by state and federal agencies and millions of dollars.
According to the article, Councillor Farley, who is up for re-election this year, maintains that this is a good time to think about the idea because a consulting firm currently is updating the airport's master plan. Although consideration of moving the airport wasn't part of the consultants' task, City Manager George Hunt said he will present a proposal to the City Council this month for the additional cost of adding the work to the consultants' contract. The state Department of Transportation is funding 80% of the estimated $140,000 master plan, the article points out, but it is not clear whether the state would fund additional costs to study moving the airport.
Meanwhile, Farley has been investigating the idea on his own, the article says. He began looking for locations for a new airport. He first explored two sites, one east of Interstate 75 and another south of Venice. Then, Farley said he contacted County Commissioner Bob Anderson about the idea of building the airport east of Laurel Road, but Anderson said the county's growth plan would not allow an airport in that area. Finally, Farley approached the well-known Taylor family about the possibility of building the airport on some of their property behind Manatee Community College's South Campus. The Taylors had many questions about the idea, Farley said, but they didn't rule it out. The article reports that Farley believes a land swap would be feasible with the Taylor's property -- the Taylors would get some of the waterfront property where the current airport is located, in exchange for their land to build the new airport. Farley said, "If it's going to work, it has to be good for the Taylors and good for the city. If we can swap land, then we don't have any expense there." In addition, Farley said he contacted Jon Preiksat, executive director of the Venice Foundation, about whether the Foundation could help fund a study on moving the airport. Preiksat said that the Foundation directors would consider a grant application from the city if the council decides to study the issue.
The article goes on to report that the airport was built in the early 1940s as a military training base, and the city acquired the airport and surrounding property from the federal government after World War II. The property consists of about 925 acres, and in addition to the airport includes a mobile home park, an apartment complex, a 27-hole golf course, a restaurant, the 73-acre Brohard Park, the circus building, the Island Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant, and a baseball field. The airfield covers about 500 acres, and has two runways and 99 city-owned and private hangars, the article says.
The article notes that city and Federal Aviation Administration officials said the cost of building a new airport could range from $30 million to $50 million. Jack Reynolds, assistant manager of the FAA's airport district office in Orlando, said several cities have considered moving airports because of noise and other complaints, but it usually is too costly. Reynolds said he believes it's worth it for cities to look into the option, but added that it takes a great deal of time and money to build a new airport.
The article points out that the North County Airport in Palm Beach County, which opened in April 1994, was the last general aviation airport built in the state, costing $30 million and taking 10 years to complete. That airport has two paved runways, one grassy runway, 40 hangars and a maintenance hanger, and a storage hanger. In addition, the article says, the Naples Airport Authority has studied the possibility of moving its airport three different times since 1980 because the airport is located in the middle of the city. Theodore Soliday, executive director of the Naples Airport Authority, said that each study concluded that moving the airport would be difficult and costly.
However, the article concludes, Farley is not giving up. He said, "If there's ever been a pie-in-the-sky dream, this is pie-in-the-sky dreaming that has a possibility of coming to fruition."
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: September 1, 1997
SECTION: Metro Hartford; Pg. B3
BYLINE: Sherman Tarr
DATELINE: Windsor Locks, Connecticut
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Astrid Hanzalek, Airport Commission member, former state representative; Roland Dowd, Airport Commission member and First Selectman in Suffield
The Hartford Courant reports that the Airport Commission, an advisory board for Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, will meet Wednesday to consider adopting a written policy to improve noise control and respond to residents' complaints about noise.
According to the article, the draft proposal was compiled by Astrid Hanzalek, a commission member from Suffield and a former state representative. Hanzalek said the proposal was a "compilation of existing policies" used by state and federal agencies, the airport, and the airlines to control the noise impact of planes taking off. Hanzalek hopes that the policy would improve noise problems at the airport and allow the commission to devote more time to other issues. "The commission has spent almost half of several meetings on noise," Hanzalek said. "We really ought to be dealing with such things as marketing the airport, making it more user-friendly, increasing the number of people and businesses using it and getting airlines to increase their flights."
The article goes on to report that Roland Dowd, an Airport Commission member and First Selectman in Suffield, said all officials involved with running the airport need to be more "proactive" in helping control noise. Dowd suggested, among other things, that the airport should provide funds to homeowners for soundproofing their homes, like the T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island does. Dowd added that airport officials should focus on clarifying takeoff procedures and on the small number of planes that cause noise problems. "We still haven't nailed down just who is in control as planes lift off the runway and ground control in the tower releases those planes," he said. "Some planes turn right, some left and they go to different altitudes. It seems someone should know exactly where planes should go and keep them in a single flight pattern. We've got people in town on the Massachusetts line who are being buzzed. That's nuts." Hanzalek said that pilots are supposed to follow flight routes to avoid noise-sensitive areas, but said it is not clear what, if any, pressure is brought against pilots who don't follow noise abatement procedures because of weather conditions or plane loads. Airport Commission member Everett Dowe Jr. of Windsor agreed, but said that the number of noise complaints has decreased over the years, the article says.
The article also notes that most of the noise complaints come from the Main Street area in south Suffield and the Poquonock section of Windsor. Residents who want to register noise complaints can call 860-292-2038.
PUBLICATION: Life Sciences & Biotechnology Update
DATE: September 1, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 97; No. 9
DATELINE: U.S.
The publication Life Sciences & Biotechnology Update printed information about a bibliographic report available from the NTIS Bibliographic Database about the psychological and physiological effects of noise pollution. The report is a collection of up to 250 abstracts of available reports, studies, papers, and other documentation on a range of noise pollution issues, including: human reactions and tolerance to noise from aircraft, vehicular traffic, processing industries, and military operations; noise abatement and control; noise management systems; dose-response relationships; attitude surveys; public opinion case studies; noise effects on animal ecology; and more. The report also contains information about ordering the various studies, and extensive indexing.
To order the report, contact: InfoTeam Inc., P.O. Box 15640, Plantation, FL 33318-5640; Phone (954) 473-9560; Fax (954) 473-0544; Report No. LN960503; Price: $299.
PUBLICATION: The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: Local; Pg. B01
BYLINE: Dave Downey
DATELINE: Morongo Indian Reservation, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Rob Koziel, Norco Mayor; Jim Fletcher, environmental officer, Morongo tribe
The Press-Enterprise reports that the Federal Aviation Administration has published the final version of an environmental assessment for a flight route proposal that would send as many as 170 jets per day bound for Los Angeles International Airport over California's San Gorgonio Pass and western Riverside County. The FAA's environmental assessment rejects an alternate route proposed by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians that would have routed the planes around the Morongo Indian Reservation. City officials and residents in Norco also opposed the FAA-proposed route, but the environmental assessment report downplays their concerns, the article says.
According to the article, the FAA has proposed a new flight path for jets approaching Los Angeles International, because of increasing jet traffic to the airport. The current flight path for jets arriving from the northeast and east would be split into two routes, under their proposal. Planes from the northeast would still use the current flight path that passes through southern San Bernardino County, the article says. But the planes flying in from the east, from locations such as St. Louis and Dallas, would follow a new path that would skirt the northwest corner of Joshua Tree National Park and fly directly over the Morongo reservation, Banning, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Norco.
The article reports that the Morongo tribe are worried that jet noise could interrupt cultural activities, and suggested diverting flights to six miles north of the FAA-proposed route. However, FAA officials concluded in their report that the suggestion was impractical because it would put the new path too close to the old one, which would defeat the purpose of creating two separate air spaces that could be handled by different sets of air traffic controllers. In response to the FAA's decision, Jim Fletcher, environmental officer for the Morongo tribe, said, "It's disappointing. But, from my perspective, it's not done yet. We're still trying to pursue the avenue of having them look at other alternatives rather than coming right over us."
The article goes on to say that city officials and residents in Norco also opposed the FAA route, saying the community already is burdened with noise and air traffic from Ontario International Airport. Rob Koziel, Norco Mayor, said in a letter that the community already is "suffering from excessively loud and low heavy jets leaving Ontario," and that residents do not want more jets flying over them. About 300 Norco residents wrote to the FAA opposing the route, the article notes. However, the FAA report downplays the noise concerns raised by Norco, as well as by officials of the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris and Moreno Valley.
The FAA's position is that the noise from the planes will be largely drowned out by background noise. Even in Norco, FAA officials maintain, jets will be flying at 12,000 feet and will be barely detectable. FAA officials have pointed out that the planes will be landing, not taking off, and thus will be flying higher than the planes using Ontario International Airport.
The article reports that the public will have a month to comment on the FAA's final conclusions, through the first week of October, according to Bill Johnstone, a FAA environmental official in Los Angeles. After that, the FAA will decide whether to approve the proposed route.
PUBLICATION: The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: Local; Pg. B01
BYLINE: David Danelski
DATELINE: Riverside, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ron Loveridge, Mayor; Joy Defenbaugh, City Councillor
The Press-Enterprise reports that city officials in Riverside, California are searching for ways to quiet loud train horns that are drawing more complaints from residents. Officials are considering making the city a "quiet zone" for trains, which would require approval from the federal government and funds to build new railroad crossings.
According to the article, Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge and City Councillor Joy Defenbaugh are lobbying for the "quiet zone." Loveridge said, "The number of trains going through (Riverside) is going up and the level of irritation is going up." Defenbaugh lives near the Union Pacific tracks, and said she has learned to live with train whistles, but still is awoken occasionally between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. She added that residents' complaints about train whistles have gone up in recent months, the article says. Riverside already has two major freight lines running through it, the article points out, and can expect more trains in the future. Currently, there are hundreds of millions of dollars going into new track and transfer facilities in Southern California.
The article goes on to say that the federal government requires trains to blow horns four times before getting to a street crossing to warn traffic of the coming danger. The horn must emit at least 96 decibels, measured 100 feet in front of the train, the same loudness as someone shouting in your ear, the article points out. Earlier this year, federal railroad officials said that new regulations expected to be in place last April will allow cities to quiet the train horns if they rebuild intersections so that drivers can't cross the tracks when a train is passing. Rebuilding the intersections can be accomplished by installing gates that block traffic, by building raised medians that prevent cars from going around the gates, or by other measures. However, the regulations have not yet been approved, according to Rick McGrath, the city's Deputy Public Works Director.
Even when the federal regulations are in place, the article reports, it may be difficult for the city to afford the railroad crossing changes. The city has a shrinking budget and 34 railroad crossings, the article points out. The changes to each intersection could cost as much as $300,000 per crossing, and the city would have to assume maintenance costs and increased liability, said McGrath. In addition, McGrath said, railroad companies don't want to negotiate crossing improvements until the federal regulations get final approval.
In conclusion, the article says that the City Council will decide Tuesday whether to refer the train noise issue to its Public Safety Committee to assess the city's options. The meeting will start at 9 a.m. at City Hall, 3900 Main St., Riverside.
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: Commentary; Pg. 24; Zone: N; Voice of the people (letter)
BYLINE: Laurie Stone, president and CEO, Greater O'Hare Association of Industry and Commerce
DATELINE: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
The Chicago Tribune printed the following letter-to-the-editor from Laurie Stone, president and CEO of the Greater O'Hare Association of Industry and Commerce, regarding the decision by Elk Grove Village (Illinois) officials to not join the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, a group formed by Chicago's mayor to address airport noise issues:
President Craig Johnson and the Elk Grove Village Board struck a blow against regional cooperation by voting not to join the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission. With their vote, Mr. Johnson and his board have chosen to put the interests of a vocal minority ahead of the interests of the entire Elk Grove business community.
Ample evidence was presented to the Elk Grove board that the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission and the 13 suburban mayors who sit on the commission are serious about noise mitigation. With guidance from the full commission, the City of Chicago is spending more than $200 million to soundproof homes and schools in the region. Additionally, $3 million was spent to construct the first Ground Run-Up Enclosure (GRE) in the U.S. Also, through cooperation with the airlines, air traffic controllers and pilots, the recently announced "Fly Quiet" program is achieving serious noise reduction during the night-time hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Add in the commission's strident stance on the phase out of the noisier Stage 2 aircraft by the end of 1999, and it becomes clear that profound noise mitigation initiatives are underway.
It also should be noted that to join the commission would not cost Elk Grove residents anything; that Elk Grove could retain its membership in other organizations, including the Suburban O'Hare Commission (SOC); and that Elk Grove could leave the commission at any time if Mr. Johnson thought that Elk Grove's voice was not being heard.
The issue of noise from O'Hare continues to be a contentious one. Thirteen mayors, several (including one former SOC member) from communities just as noise-weary as Elk Grove, understand that meaningful progress will only come through regional cooperation. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson and his board remain committed to isolationism.
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 7; Zone: N
BYLINE: Rogers Worthington
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Arlene Mulder, Arlington Heights Mayor and chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission; Rita Mullins, Palatine Mayor and chair of the commission's technical committee
The Chicago Tribune reports that the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, a city-suburban group working on noise issues at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, asked federal regulators Friday to require pilots taking off at night to use the full length of a runway in order to avoid flying at a low altitude over the northwest suburbs. The commission's action comes as noise complaints from residents are rising, the article says.
According to the article, many pilots taking off at night begin to accelerate about two-thirds of the way from runway 32-L's northern end. Officials on the commission's technical committee said that if pilots use the full length of the 13,000-foot runway, planes would have more thrust to achieve an additional 400-500 feet in altitude more quickly. Arlene Mulder, chair of the commission and mayor of Arlington Heights, said, "For those who live near the end of the runway, 400 to 500 feet makes a big difference."
Meanwhile, complaints to the city's noise abatement office hot line have been rising, the article says. Complaints totaled 1,225 in July, with a preliminary estimate of 2,400 for August, according to Chicago Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney. By contrast, complaints in May and June were lower, at 375 and 1,026 respectively. Loney said that almost 25% of the calls in July and almost one-third in August were from callers in Park Ridge, which does not correlate with runway utilization during those months. Only 8% of departures and 19% of arrivals passed over Park Ridge during July and August between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., the hours of the airport's "Fly Quiet" program, Loney said. But other areas, such as Harwood Heights and West Chicago, experienced more aircraft noise during the summer because nighttime construction in the north sector of the airport required planes to be re-routed to the east, Loney said.
Another noise mitigation measure suggested by Rita Mullins, chair of the commission's technical committee and mayor of Palatine, is to get more planes to use the airport's new "hush house" for ground run-ups, or engine tests, another source of noise. She said the hush house is vacant, while two ground run-up pads are still being used, the article reports. Mullins added, "There is no incentive to say 'you should utilize the hush house.'"
In a related matter, members of the commission learned Friday that United Airlines plans to have 75% of its fleet in compliance with federally mandated quieter aircraft noise standards by the end of this year. The FAA is requiring airlines to have 50% of their fleets in compliance by January 1998 and 100% in compliance by 2000. United is the airport's largest source of flights, and according to some, its largest source of noise. American Airlines, the airport's second largest tenant, already has 88% of its fleet in compliance, the article notes.
PUBLICATION: Europe Environment
DATE: September 5, 1997
SECTION: No. 505
DATELINE: Europe
The publication Europe Environment reports that a day-long seminar will be held on September 16 to focus on the latest developments in noise legislation, ambient noise management, neighbor noise control, and noise research. The seminar is being sponsored by the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection in England.
For more information, contact: Peter Mitchell or Katherine Lennon, National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection, 136 North Street, Brighton BN1 1RG, England; Tel: (+44) 1273/326313; Fax: (+44) 1273/735802; E-mail: admin@nsca.org.uk
PUBLICATION: Providence Journal-Bulletin
DATE: September 5, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. 3C
DATELINE: Warwick, Rhode Island
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Sue Wiggins, organizer, People of Warwick Encourage Reduction Of Noise (POWER ON)
The Providence Journal-Bulletin reports that a second citizens group is being formed to lobby for noise reduction from jets at the T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island.
According to the article, Sue Wiggins of Brentwood Avenue is organizing the new group, which is called POWER ON -- an acronym for "People of Warwick Encourage Reduction Of Noise." Wiggins said, "We're hoping to get people from all over the city, from any area that's affected by airport noise and pollution." The group will hold its first meeting on Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, she added.
The article also notes that last month, another citizens airport noise group, called SONIC, was formed in the Cowesett neighborhood.
PUBLICATION: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
DATE: September 5, 1997
SECTION: St. Charles, Pg. 01
BYLINE: Tommy Robertson
DATELINE: St. Charles, Missouri
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Pat McDonnell, vice chair, St. Charles Citizens Against Aircraft Noise
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the citizens group St. Charles Citizens Against Aircraft Noise will hold a rally Saturday in St. Charles, Missouri to protest airport noise at Lambert Airfield. The rally is being used to urge local officials to more aggressively pursue a noise agreement with St. Louis officials.
According to the article, the citizens group, as well as many St. Charles residents, oppose a proposal by Lambert officials to build a new runway west of the existing terminal, about a mile east of St. Charles. The new runway would bring an increase in noise to the community, residents fear. The citizens group is continuing to apply pressure to local officials to reach a noise agreement with the city of St. Louis. Pat McDonnell, vice chair of the citizens group, said, "There are so many things they [local officials] can do but they won't do anything."
The article goes on to say that the mayor of St. Charles, Bob Moeller, will not attend the rally, but he released a letter from Leonard Griggs, director of operations at Lambert, in which Griggs acknowledged meeting with St. Charles city officials last week. Mike Miller, St. Charles city administrator, said, "I'm mildly enthused about the direction of our first meeting and if programs continue, we might be able to find a meaningful way of mitigating airport noise." McDonnell of the citizens group said said he was aware of the mayor's meeting with Griggs, but added that more needs to be done. He said, "They can do some things right now, like establishing a [flight] curfew."
The article notes that the rally will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the plaza in front of the St. Charles City Hall, 200 North Second Street.
PUBLICATION: The Xinhua News Agency
DATE: September 5, 1997
SECTION: Item No.: 0905029
DATELINE: New York, New York
The Xinhua News Agency reports that United Airlines officials announced today that they will reduce noise emissions from the company's fleet by 25% more than federal aircraft noise standards require by the end of this year, according to a company press release. Company officials intend to replace many of the fleet's jets with new aircraft to achieve the goal.
The article reports that United is the largest air carrier in the world, with nearly 2,300 flights per day. The company has 579 aircraft in its fleet, and of those, 48 will be retired by the end of 1998, 57 new jets will be added by the end of 1998, and noise-reducing hush kits will be installed in the engines of 99 jets by the end of 1999. United's new fleet will contain Boeing 747, 757, 767, and 777 aircraft, and Airbus A320 and 319 aircraft, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: News; In Brief; Pg. A4
DATELINE: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The Gazette reports that residents living along Highway 25 on the east side of Montreal, Quebec will get noise barriers to reduce traffic noise pollution. The barriers will cost $11 million, and will be funded by the city and the provincial Transportation Department.
According to the article, barriers will be erected along a 2.5-kilometer stretch of the highway between Notre Dame St. E. and the boundary of Anjou. The barriers will reduce noise for about 6,000 residents, especially those living on Curatteau St., which runs along the east side of the highway. Mayor Pierre Bourque said the barriers are expected to be completed by the end of next year, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Paul Marks
DATELINE: Windsor Locks, Connecticut
The Hartford Courant reports that the Bradley International Airport Commission, a citizen commission in Windsor Locks, Connecticut that advises the state on the operation of Bradley International Airport, adopted a policy Wednesday that outlines recommended procedures for addressing noise pollution from jets. The policy stipulates that airport officials will "investigate each legitimate complaint and report its finding back to the caller," that officials of the state Department of Transportation, which runs the airport, will contact airlines and cargo carriers following complaints "to solicit their future cooperation with the airport's noise abatement program."
According to the article, the policy also urges residents to call the airport's 24-hour noise complaint line (860-292-2038) to report the time and location of noisy aircraft at the airport. The commission's statement also notes that aircraft noise and traffic are unavoidable at a thriving airport. "The more successful the airport, the greater potential impact from both sources," the statement says. Astrid Hanzalek, vice chair of the commission, said the policy statement was drafted in order to limit the amount of time the commission spends addressing noise problems. Commission members want to spend more time addressing other concerns, such as marketing the airport to businesses, making it more "user friendly" to travelers, and getting airlines to offer more flights, Hanzalek said.
The article says that according to Commission Chair Charles Watras, the policy must be approved by lawyers for the Department of Transportation before it takes effect. However, Robert Juliano, head of the department's bureau of aviation and ports, said there likely will be no problem with the state's approval of the policy statement because most of the procedures listed in the statement already are being carried out.
The article notes that the policy statement also points out that all non-military jets using the airport will be required to have quieter Stage 3 engines by 2000 in order to comply with federal standards enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration. Juliano said that more than 76% of all passenger jets using the airport already comply with Stage 3 noise standards.
Meanwhile, noise complaints have been high this summer, the article says. Airport operations specialist John Spillane said in a report to the commission that 49 residences registered complaints during July and August, most of them in Suffield. In the 12-month period ending Aug. 31, 217 noise complaints were registered from 101 residences. Those numbers compare with 142 complaints from 80 households in the previous 12-month period.
PUBLICATION: The Morning Call (Allentown, PA)
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: Comment, Pg. A16
BYLINE: L.R. Labar, Hanover Township resident
DATELINE: Allentown, Pennsylvania area
The Morning Call printed the following letter-to-the-editor from L.R. Labar, a Hanover Township (Pennsylvania) resident, regarding an buyout of land by the Lehigh Valley International Airport:
The Lehigh Valley International Airport received $3 million from the federal government to buy unnecessary property for noise abatement.
Anyone who ever moved out in this vicinity already knew there was an airport in the area. If noise was the problem, the people would have moved out a long time ago. The new homes on the outskirts are the ones complaining about the airplanes. Weren't they aware?
We have families living on a fixed income, and the Aug. 11 article in The Morning Call frightened them. Putting 50 families out to pasture really doesn't make sense. Our tax dollars are going down the drain again. There is no need for such a horrendous move.
PUBLICATION: The Palm Beach Post
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: Local, Pg. 4B
DATELINE: Boynton Beach, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Jerry Taylor, Mayor
The Palm Beach Post reports that the Forest Park Elementary School in Boynton Beach, Florida will receive a noise barrier to protect it from noise pollution from Interstate 95. The Florida Department of Transportation reconsidered its earlier decision not to build the barrier behind the school.
According to the article, city officials said last month that they couldn't understand why the barrier being built along Interstate 95 between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Woolbright Road stopped short of the school. State officials said the barrier never was intended to protect buildings not occupied 24 hours a day, the article says. But after Mayor Jerry Taylor asked state legislators to intercede, state transportation officials agreed to extend the wall an additional 800 feet to protect the school, at a cost of about $150,000.
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. A6
BYLINE: Mike Funston
DATELINE: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Tom Mokrzycki, Planning Commissioner; David Culham, City Councillor
The Toronto Star reports that officials in Mississauga, Ontario believe a proposed noise control agreement between the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and the airlines using Pearson International Airport isn't tough enough. City officials insist that restrictions on runway use should be more stringent than outlined in the proposed agreement.
The article reports that according to authority officials, the proposed agreement is intended to formalize and improve upon previous policies. The proposal states, "The air carrier may, upon 30 days written notice, apply to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority for permission to conduct regular scheduled operations during those hours regulated by the night flight restriction program."
In response to the agreement, Planning Commissioner Tom Mokrzycki said in a report to the Mississauga Council's general committee yesterday that placing restrictions on runway use is desirable, but not as proposed in the agreement. He said the agreement stipulates that airlines can apply for exemptions to night flight restrictions (between midnight and 7 a.m.), and may encourage more such operations without regard for the noise impact. Councillor David Culham said, "This could be an opening for the airlines to exploit an extra few hours of operation time." In a related matter, authority officials were hotly criticized recently after it was revealed that they conducted a secret six-month-long experiment in which aircraft were permitted to land betwen 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. in order to test whether residents would complain about additional night flights. A report on the findings is to be released on Sept. 25, the article notes.
Mokrzycki also complained that the authority is not seeking support or comments from the City Council on the agreement, the article says. He went on to say the city should request that conditions be added to the agreement, including:
Prohibiting night flights on the new north-south runway when it opens later this year, except for weather, safety, or emergency reasons.
Requiring airlines to convert their fleets to quieter, modern jets such as 767s and the Airbus series, by 2002.
Evaluating the noise impact on residential areas before approving night flight applications.
Meanwhile, Bruce Reid, a spokesperson for the authority, when asked to comment on Mokrzycki's recommendations, said the authority welcomes the council's input and hopes it will lead to a better final agreement.
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: Brampton; Pg. BR2
BYLINE: Mike Funston
DATELINE: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Lawrence Mitoff, chair, Council of Concerned Residents; Ron Searle, former Mayor
The Toronto Star reports that a new ratepayers' association for the 14,000 residents of the Rockwood subdivision in Mississauga, Ontario will be formed this month to fight aircraft noise from Pearson International Airport. The Rockwood area is affected by both aircraft noise and high-density development proposals, the article notes.
The article reports that Ron Searle, former Mayor, will chair the organizational ratepayers' meeting on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at Sts. Martha and Mary School on Bough Beeches Blvd. Officially, there are ratepayers' groups for both the eastern and western parts of Rockwood, the article says, but both groups have agreed to form one group to represent the entire area. The area is bounded by Etobicoke Creek, Dixie Rd., Burnhamthorpe Rd., and Eglinton Ave. The agenda for the organizational meeting includes electing an executive, and forming committees to deal with noise, development, and communications. Any property owner in the area is eligible to join the group, the article notes.
The article goes on to say that Lawrence Mitoff, chair of the Council of Concerned Residents that has been fighting the expansion of the airport runways, said it has been years since an official ratepayer group has had a public meeting in his area, which is not acceptable because there are critical issues at hand. Mitoff added that Rockwood will be the most seriously noise polluted area after the new runway is built, with planes flying just a few hundred feet above the houses. In addition, Mitoff said, developers have plans to build more than 2,200 high-density housing units for about 5,000 people in an area zoned for single-family housing and light industry, southeast of Eglinton Ave. and Fieldgate Dr.
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: September 4, 1997
SECTION: Metro Chicago; Pg. 8; Zone: N
BYLINE: Robin Mohr, with contributions by Dimitra DeFotis
DATELINE: Arlington Heights, Illinois
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Todd Preston, spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey; Jack Saporito, director, Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare; Arlene Mulder, Village President and chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission
The Chicago Tribune reports that village trustees in Arlington Heights, Illinois voted unanimously Tuesday to support a federal bill that would fund a noise abatement office in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The legislation is known as the Quiet Communities Act of 1997, and is currently being reviewed by committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Arlington Heights has long been involved in a fight against O'Hare International Airport over aircraft noise.
According to the article, the EPA's Office of Noise Abatement and Control was created in the early 1980s but was never funded by the Reagan administration, thus leaving airport noise up to the Federal Aviation Administration. [Editor's note: The EPA office actually was created in the 1970s, was de-funded by the Reagan administration, and never had the power to set or enforce airport noise standards.] The proposed legislation would fund the noise office, would give the agency the power to make noise reduction recommendations to the FAA, and would allow the office to research the effects of airport noise. [Editor's note: The EPA received the power to make noise reduction recommendations to the FAA in the 1970s, and has since made at least 11 such recommendations, only one of which has been fully implemented by the FAA.] Todd Preston, a spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, (D-N.Y.), who introduced the House bill, said the legislation is a way to "bring the EPA back into the picture as a player."
The article goes on to say that the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration has held the responsibility for aircraft noise abatement has been a concern to residents living near airports across the country. Jack Saporito, director of the Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare, an Arlington Heights-based citizens group, said having the FAA evaluate airport noise is like asking the industry to police itself. Saporito added that the EPA would do a better job at defining noise pollution as a health hazard instead of a nuisance and at providing an impartial look at the issue. Saporito also said that the FAA often claims aircraft noise can't be reduced for safety reasons. "That's one of the obstacles we have to overcome," he said. "With the FAA, it's always safety hazards. If that's the case, they should reduce the number of flights."
The article reports that the town of Park Ridge also has endorsed the legislation, and the Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare is asking Des Plaines and other suburbs near O'Hare to do the same, according to Saporito. The Arlington Heights board's vote was "a strong message, because it showed common ground could be reached over economic and safety concerns and noise impacts on residents," according to Saporito. Village officials said they would inform Senators Richard Durbin and Carol Moseley-Braun and U.S. Representatives John Porter and Phil Crane of their resolution, and ask for their support or co-sponsorship of the measures.
Meanwhile, Arlene Mulder, Arlington Heights Village President and chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, a panel of mayors and school superintendents formed by Chicago's Mayor, said noise is an important issue, but safety must remain the number one issue. She said the Commission had not reviewed Quiet Communities Act, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Daily News of Los Angeles
DATE: September 3, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. N6
BYLINE: Eric Wahlgren
DATELINE: Burbank, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Bob Kramer, Burbank Mayor
The Daily News of Los Angeles reports that officials with the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority decried Burbank (California) city officials' decision Tuesday to end talks intended to resolve the dispute over the airport terminal expansion. Authority officials claimed that Burbank officials destroyed the mediation process by making demands that could not legally be met by the authority. But city officials maintain that the authority wasn't willing to make concessions on noise restrictions. According to airport officials, the fate of the terminal now will be decided in an on-going legal battle over the project.
According to the article, city officials announced Friday that they were abandoning the talks, which began in May. Aiport officials were not available for comment then, leading some to charge that the city purposefully waited till the holiday weekend to make its announcement and put its spin on the issue. But Burbank Mayor Bob Kramer denied the charge, and said city officials had notified mediator Dana Peterson of their decision several days earlier.
The article goes on to report that Joyce Streater, president of the authority, along with other airport officials, said they were surprised by the city's announcement. Airport officials said the talks failed because the city asked for concessions they knew the airport couldn't make. The city asked airport officials to agree to a curfew that would lead to fines of up to $50,000 against airlines if flights occurred between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., airport officials said. However, they went on to say, the Federal Aviation Administration doesn't allow airports to impose such restrictions on airlines. City officials also wanted airport officials to agree to a noise budget that would not allow the airport to become any noisier than current levels, airport officials said. But airport officials said that would require limiting the number of flights from the airport because airlines already are using the quietest aircraft available. Streater said in a written statement that the authority had agreed to study imposing such noise restrictions, but the FAA generally does not favor such restrictions and thus the airport could not guarantee their approval. She wrote, "The political reality of Burbank at this time compelled the city to ask for things the (Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena) Airport Authority is powerless to give, and we couldn't get past that."
But Burbank Mayor Kramer, who was on the city's negotiating team, said the city made important concessions, the article reports. The city previously said it would only agree to a 16-gate terminal, but agreed during the mediation to a 19-gate terminal. Kramer said airport officials could have reciprocated by negotiating on the sticking points. "We believe that if the Airport Authority would buy into our curfew with the penalty and the noise budget, than we could certainly persuade the airlines and the FAA to go along with them," Kramer said.
PUBLICATION: Dayton Daily News
DATE: September 3, 1997
SECTION: Neighbors, Pg. Z4-1
BYLINE: Katherine Ullmer
DATELINE: Dayton, Ohio area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Rep. Tony Hall (D-Dayton); Susan Lienesch, co-chair of the Aircraft Noise Task Force and Centerville City Councillor; Roger Krass, co-chair of the Aircraft Noise Task Force and Washington Township trustee; Marilyn Wightman, Washington Township resident
The Dayton Daily News reports that the Aircraft Noise Task Force, commissioned last January to recommend ways to alleviate early morning aircraft noise over Centerville and Washington Township, Ohio (outside Dayton), recently produced a list of 16 long-term and short-term recommendations. On Aug. 18, Washington Township trustees and Centerville City Councillors approved those recommendations, and sent them to Rep. Tony Hall (D-Dayton), who forwarded them last week to the Federal Aviation Administration. Hall has asked the FAA to respond to the task force's recommendations and help lessen the noise, the article says.
According to the article, the situation begain when residents in Washington Township and Centerville started complaining to officials about aircraft noise between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Residents disovered that in June 1996, the FAA had changed the flight paths of cargo jets coming to and from Airborne Express in Wilmington, Ohio, without prior notifcation. According to Dick Petersen, air traffic control manager for the FAA at Dayton International Airport, the flight path change was done for safety reasons, and also affected the flight paths of cargo carriers in six other cities that all converge in this area. He added that because there are many different carriers and airports involved, alleviating one area's problems is very complex. One of the task force's recommendations involves shifting the flight path of the Airborne Express cargo planes back to its original path, but according to Susan Lienesch, co-chair of the task force and Centerville City Councillor, "we really don't think it can be done."
The article says that according to Peterson, the FAA usually doesn't become involved in noise mitigation issues, but that this time the agency wanted to help resolve the problem since it was responsible for the change in flight paths. Peterson worked closely with the task force to help the members understand air traffic control issues, the article reports.
The article goes on to say that while there has been some increased air traffic due to the recent UPS strike, in general the area has experienced some relief from the noise coming from Airborne Express planes, according to Roger Krass, co-chair of the task force and Washington Township trustee. He said Airborne Express' noise has decreased 30% compared to last year because they had brought more jets into compliance with federal noise standards.
Bob Gray, corporate director of operational safety and planning for ABX Air Inc., an Airborne Express airline, also worked with the task force. He said he believes most of the recommendations can be implemented "assuming the FAA can manage it," but added that some recommendations conflict with one another. For instance, he said, some recommendations seek to have planes climb to higher altitudes, while others advise that planes' ascents should level off over the area. Gray said the company already is implementing other steps to lessen noise. Several weeks ago, he said, Airborne Express recieved one of 12 Boeing 767s it has contracted to purchase, which are much quieter than the DC-8s currently flying over the area, and which eventually will the DC-8s on flights to the west coast. The Boeing 767s meet the federal government's final stage of noise abatement standards, the article notes. Airborne Express will receive its second plane in October, and will get three or four more per year through 2000. Gray added that there may be more flights over the area in the future, but the planes will be more efficient and have less of an impact.
Meanwhile, Washington Township resident Marilyn Wightman, who was one of the first to complain about the noise, said she believes the noise emissions are lower now, or she has gotten used to it. She said, "I still feel strongly that it's a major issue that's under-legislated, and I've had many, many people call me who are still just miserable."
The article goes on to list the long-term and short-term recommendations of the task force. Long-term recommendations include:
Create a regional air authority to deal with noise concerns. The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission should be encouraged to evaluate, monitor and facilitate regional planning efforts to provide adequate airspace over less densely populated areas.
Centerville and/or Washington Twp. should continue membership in networks such as the National Organization to Insure a Sound Controlled Environment to keep up with technical research regarding aircraft noise.
Congress should re-examine its rules regarding aircraft noise. Rules were established in 1959.
Local government representatives should petition Congress to develop new funding sources to generate aircraft improvement funds to speed up compliance with the federal government's Dec. 31, 1999 aircraft noise compliance deadline. The high cost of adding quieting devices to airplanes has caused some airlines to drag their feet. A cargo charge to help with noise abatement might help.
The Centerville/Washington Twp. area should help develop an Aircraft Noise Measurement Test Plan to address the need for different nighttime noise level standards in residential areas outside the noise footprint established by federal regulations. The FAA and air cargo carriers would have to work together on this issue.
The township and city should evaluate and explore the need to review and revise zoning and building code regulations that require homes to be built to higher noise abatement standards if built under known flight paths or in areas subject to flight path variations.
The article also lists the following short-term recommendations, some of which have already been implemented:
Encourage Airborne Express to redirect as many flights as possible to its Cincinnati route. The FAA and Airborne had removed 8 to 10 of 28 overflights as of last December.
Allow planes to have an unlimited climb profile departing from Wilmington and heading over the Centerville/Washington Twp. area, so they can reach higher altitudes faster. This was accomplished in April, the task force report said.
Allow air traffic controllers in Dayton to have more airspace control for higher altitudes so planes can fly at 15,000 feet for operations from midnight to 7 a.m. Previously, air traffic controllers in Indianapolis decided when planes in the Dayton area could fly above 10,000 feet. This change was made in April.
Airborne Express should require pilots to level their ascent until they are past this region, thus cutting down on noise.
Return to the original flight path used before June 20, 1996.
Move the flight path slightly south of its current path to an area between Centerville and Springboro. This five to seven degree change would require additional FAA environmental assessments.
Reroute Emery Freight departures from Dayton International Airport going over the area and heading to Wilmington to Springfield first. This might not work, the task force says, as it would affect noise mitigation measures at the Dayton airport.
Create a number of different routes that would vary week to week or month to month so the same people would not always be under the same traffic pattern. This would be very difficult to implement as the various cargo carriers would have to agree to file the different routes with the FAA, and the continual changing could present a safety problem.
Create a route that goes between Centerville and Springboro. This reiterates recommendation number six and would be one of the multiple departure routes.
Add more people to the midnight operation of the Indianapolis Air Traffic Control Center as nighttime air cargo activity in the region increases. This issue is being reviewed by the FAA.
PUBLICATION: Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho)
DATE: September 3, 1997
SECTION: Local/Regional; Pg. 9A
DATELINE: Asotin, Washington
The Lewiston Morning Tribune reports that commissioners in Asotin County, Washington Monday passed a revision of an ordinance that will allow the county sheriff's employees, rather than state employees, to enforce industrial noise regulations. The action came partly as a result of complaints from residents living near Dutch's Welding in Clarkston, who said they couldn't get an uninterrupted night of sleep because of noise from the company. In addition, the state didn't have an employee stationed in Asotin County who could enforce industrial noise issues, the article says.
According to the article, officials from Dutch's, which fabricates large metal objects such as roofs, said the company has made efforts to minimize noise. Dutch's officials also pointed out that they employ many people at more than minimum wage.
The article also says that state regulations limit noise to 70 decibels for industrial areas, but have exemptions for noise that lasts less than 15 minutes. Other exemptions are also available for economic or other reasons, the article says. The regulations are more restrictive between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and the maximum penalty for violation is $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
PUBLICATION: The Times-Picayune
DATE: September 3, 1997
SECTION: National; Pg. A1
BYLINE: Rhonda Bell
DATELINE: Norco, Louisiana
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Margie Richard, chief plaintiff of the lawsuit and organizer of Norco Concerned Citizens Plaintiffs; Nyle Politz, attorney for the plaintiffs
The Times-Picayune reports that a jury in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana ruled against residents Tuesday in a lawsuit that alleged that Shell's Norco chemical plant poses a nuisance to the nearby Diamond community. The suit was brought by about 250 Diamond residents who claimed that noise, odors, soot, and bright lights from the plant's flare have caused continuous problems.
According to the article, the residents sought damages from Shell, and asked that the plant be closed because of the nuisance and Shell's reckless handling of chemicals. If they won the suit, residents planned to ask the company to purchase their homes.
The jury voted 10-2 against the residents' complaints, the article reports. One juror said afterward he was concerned that if the jury had awarded damages, some residents might have remained in the neighborhood and sued the plant again. The hearing lasted two weeks and included a visit by the jury to the neighborhood, but the jury deliberated on its verdict for less than two hours, the article says.
The article goes on to say that the lawsuit originally was based strictly on relocation, and plaintiffs sought money for moving away. But plaintiffs' attorneys dropped the relocation issue after the case was bounced between federal and state courts, the article reports. Juror Kenneth Scott of Des Allemands said, "I kind of wish they wouldn't have dropped the relocation issue. Since they dropped that, it looked like they were just looking for the money."
The article reports that during the trial, residents testified that their homes have depreciated sharply because they are so close to the chemical plant. Some homes are only 15 feet from the plant's fence, while those furthest away are 1,200 feet from the fence. Many residents have lived there since before or shortly after the plant was built in the 1950s, the article says. Margie Richard, the suit's chief plaintiff and organizer of the Norco Relocation Committee, which later became Norco Concerned Citizens, said, "This was not about money. It was always about longevity. This is not going to stop. We live in fear."
The article also notes that air quality and noise experts testified for Shell at the hearing that the residents were not exposed to hazardous air or noise conditions. Instead, Shell attorneys portrayed the Diamond residents as angry over settlements from previous lawsuits and hungry for money from the company's "deep pockets." Shell attorney Mark Marino said during his closing argument, "We all live in a society that has to tolerate certain inconveniences. Before you show them the money, they must show you the proof."
Meanwhile, attorneys for the plaintiffs produced accidental discharge reports from the state Department of Environmental Quality that span 10 years. They also argued that even the plant's normal operations constitute a nuisance to residents. Attorney Nyle Politz urged jurors to award damages of $97,000 a year to the dozen main plaintiffs. Politz argued, "These people will have to go back to Diamond, to live in the shadow and shower of Shell Chemical. What is peace of mind worth? What is quality of life worth? If you built that plant today, you would have to put up a 2,000-foot buffer zone. You've been to Diamond. You've seen how close it is."
PUBLICATION: Orlando Sentinel Tribune
DATE: September 1, 1997
SECTION: Editorial; Pg. A19
BYLINE: Martin Kelly
DATELINE: Orlando, Florida
Orlando Sentinel Tribune printed an editorial in which the writer says it's disgusting to see sailboats cluttering up the beautiful Florida lakes, and that they should be banned in Orange and Seminole counties. He also argues that it's a lie that sailboats produce no noise or pollution and use free energy.
The editorial scorns the lingo of sailboaters, saying they use words such as "sheet," "mast," and "tacking" to impress others. He wonders why they can't just speak English. But, the columnist says, everywhere you look you see a 30-foot sailboat. He makes fun of the clothes worn by sailboaters and the hibachis attached to the rail of the boats.
The editorial says that people are lured into sailboating by promises of no noise, no pollution, and free energy. But these are all lies, says the columnist. He says in a high wind, sailboats are very noisy, with the wind beating the sails and ropes and pulleys creaking and banging. There probably wouldn't be any pollution, he says, except for the fact that everyone on the boat except the owner throws up. As for free energy, he says, everytime the wind dies down, the outboard "kicker" engine is turned on and the boat moves away amid noise and pollution.
The columnist goes on to complain about the size of cabins in sailboats. He also scorns keels on sailboats, saying they don't allow the boats to be used where water is less than 4,000 fathoms deep.
The editorial writer concludes that he'll stick to "the old twin outboards and machinery designed for us sane, modern folks." He says he wants to get to his destination "quickly and comfortably, without guessing about arrival times or wondering which way the wind is blowing." He says it's just too bad that because fuel is so expensive, people can't afford to run their powerboats anymore. He concludes by asking, "How fast can those sailboats go, by the way?"
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B3
BYLINE: Rubaina Azhar
DATELINE: Suffield, Connecticut
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Agnes Leifert, Ed Kenney, residents and petition organizers; Alice Goldrick, resident
The Hartford Courant reports that residents in the southern part of Suffield, Connecticut, near Stony Brook, are circulating a petition demanding a solution to "excessive aircraft noise" from the nearby Bradley International Airport.
The article reports that Agnes Leifert and Ed Kenney are organizing the petition drive, and so far have collected more than 60 signatures. They expect to collect more today, and to present the petition to First Selectman Roland Dowd at the Suffield on the Green festival Sunday.
The article says that many residents believe the jet noise from the airport is out-of-hand. According to Leifert, jet noise was so bad this summer that she recently couldn't even hear the motor of her lawn mower. She said, "It hurts my ears. And it goes on all day long." Leifert runs a day-care center from her home, and said she's also concerned about the effect the noise is having on the kids. Another resident, Alice Goldrick, said the noise has kept her up at night and frequently interrupts telephone conversations. "It is so out of hand," she said. "How much more can we put up with this?"
Meanwhile, the Bradley International Airport Commission, a citizens group that advises the state on the airport's operation, adopted a statement this week outlining its position on jet noise, the article reports. But some residents said the statement doesn't propose any immediate change. The statement points out that by 2000, all non-military aircraft are required by federal standards to have quieter engines that comply with "Stage III" noise standards enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration. But airport officials have said that more than 76% of passenger jets using Bradley already meet that standard, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: Town & State; Pg. B3
DATELINE: Middletown, Connecticut
The Hartford Courant reports that the board of finance in Middletown, Connecticut agreed Thursday to spend $10,000 for a noise meter and training to enforce the town's new noise ordinance.
PUBLICATION: The Indianapolis Star
DATE: September 6, 1997
SECTION: City/State; Pg. B03; Briefly in your community
DATELINE: Wayne Township, Indiana
The Indianapolis Star reports that Charles Spears, Assessor for Wayne Township, Indiana, has called a public meeting to interpret a highly technical report on the impact of aircraft noise from Indianapolis International Airport. The report, which was released by the Indianapolis Airport Authority and prepared by a consultant, outlines the impact of noise on residents in Wayne and Decatur townships and Hendricks County. The meeting will be Monday at 7 p.m. in Ben Davis Junior High School, 1200 N. Girls School Road. The article notes that the airport authority has scheduled its own public hearing on the report for September 29 at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of Plainfield High School.
PUBLICATION: LA Weekly
DATE: September 5, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 12
BYLINE: Jim Crogan
DATELINE: Burbank, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: R.C. Czapiewski, Burbank Airport watcher; Ted McConkey, Burbank City Councillor; James Arone, resident and longtime airport activist; Don Elsmore, Burbank Airport watchers; Margie Gee, anti-noise activist and former member of the Airport Authority
The LA Weekly reports that late last week, negotiations collapsed between city officials in Burbank, California and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority over expansion plans for the Burbank Airport, leaving decisions to be settled in court cases already filed. City and community leaders want strong restrictions on jet noise and air traffic, while authority members believe expansion is needed because the airport is already operating beyond capacity. But the failed attempt to negotiate a compromise has left a political rift within the city of Burbank, the article argues. Early this year, elected city officials and their appointees appeared to form a united front to oppose substantial airport expansion, but now the officials are divided into factions, with each side accusing the other of cynical politics, the article says.
According to the article, politics in Burbank have increasingly been dominated by the politics of the airport. The airport authority has always consisted of pro-business, pro-growth appointees, but in 1995, with the airport authority considering an expansion that would increase the number of gates from 14 to 19 and later to 27, voters elected two professed populists to the City Council on an anti-airport expansion platform. Those officials were Bob Kramer and Councillor Ted McConkey. Both were key players in the successful effort to keep Lockheed Corporation from heavy burning of contaminated soil as the company was preparing to leave town. Kramer and McConkey, along with a new councillor elected this year -- Stacey Murphy, were expected to constitute a majority progressive voting bloc on the council. According to James Arone, a Burbank resident and longtime airport activist, "Kramer and McConkey were specifically elected on an anti-expansion airport platform, and Murphy got my vote because she was endorsed by Kramer."
Last February, the anti-expansion bloc, including the council's three appointees to the airport authority, agreed to the "21st Century Plan" that called for a maximum increase of gates from 14 to 16, a noise budget, a curfew on night flights, and a 10% limit on growth of air traffic. The plan contained an admonition that the city's demands were not an opening position in a new round of negotiations with the authority.
But in June, Kramer made a unilateral decision to open mediation talks with the airport authority just days after the City Council voted to make Kramer mayor, the article reports. Kramer later sought retroactive approval from the council, the article notes, but he was the one who started the mediation process and chose Burbank's negotiating team. According to Kramer, he opened the talks because he was concerned about mounting legal bills and a continuing impasse with the airport authority.
Opening the talks was a risky move in itself, the article says, but what raised a red flag for many opponents of airport expansion was Kramer's decision to include former Burbank Airport commissioner Brian Bowman in the negotiations. Bowman has long been an ardent supporter of expansion, and some residents believed Kramer's choice was a betrayal of his campaign promise against airport expansion. Arone said, "Kramer has done a 180-degree turn. He made all these promises, then he brings Brian Bowman -- a former member of the Airport Authority, a member of the opposition -- into negotiations to help him open doors with the airport. What are we supposed to think, except that now he's just another politician who's gotten into bed with the other side?"
But Kramer insisted he brought Bowman into the talks because "he knew the players, and he knew how the airport operates." Another member of Kramer's negotiating team, Burbank city manager Bud Ovrom, said including Bowman in the talks was a "brilliant strategic move." Ovrom said, "Bowman's first loyalty was to Burbank, and he lives and breathes the airport. He knew when they were bluffing or misrepresenting what could be done, and he called them on it. He also pushed them to be more creative so that we could work out a compromise."
During the negotiations, the article says, Kramer and Vice Mayor David Golonski were criticized for offering to give too much away in the now-failed talks. Kramer and his team offered to throw out much of the 21st Century Plan demands by allowing an increase to 19 gates and dropping the demand for a cap on flights, in exchange for the airport authority instituting a mandatory nighttime curfew (in place of the current voluntary one) and strict limits on noise. However, the bargaining ploy failed, the article reports.
Opponents of airport expansion were frustrated by Kramer's moves, the article says. Don Elsmore, a Burbank airport-watcher, said, "I know the city has filed 11 suits, but they seem to be so half-hearted about fighting for victory. For instance, Kramer and the others let the airport get away with calling the curfew 'voluntary.' But it isn't. It was included in Document 101, signed in 1981, and should be grandfathered in as mandatory. Van Nuys just did it. Why can't we?"
Late last week, Kramer also was the one who made the decision to cancel the negotiations, saying that, to his disappointment, airport officials would not budge from their stated expansion goals. Airport opponent and Burbank Airport watcher R.C. Czapiewski said, "All I can say is, I'm glad the charade is over. I'm just amazed and disappointed at how much Kramer and Golonski were willing to give away."
Meanwhile, the article reports, Kramer and McConkey's council votes often cancel each other out now, and there is considerable personal and political enmity between the two. Arone said, "Ted McConkey has stuck to his promises about the airport. Right now he's also the only one who consistently speaks up for the people in this council, and that usually means he ends up on the losing end of a 4-1 vote."
Another move that angered airport opponents was the abrupt firing in July of Margie Gee, one of Burbank's three appointees to the airport authority and a longtime anti-noise activist, the article says. Golonski targeted Gee for removal, prompting a spontaneous protest outside City Hall and testimony from 41 people in support of Gee at the meeting to decide her fate. At that meeting, Kramer and Golonski were accused of making an alleged secret deal to get rid of Gee in exchange for the city of Glendale removing one of their commissioners, Robert Garcin, who was a strong advocate for expansion. The article reports that after four-and-a-half hours of discussion and public comment, Gee was voted out 3-2 by the council. Golonski, Murphy, and Bill Wiggins voted to remove her, while McConkey and Kramer voted to keep her. But because Kramer voted last, after the issue had been decided, critics say that his vote was a political move to make himself look good. Kramer responded, "That's garbage. I just didn't think it was the right time to replace a commissioner."
The article goes on to explain that two weeks later, the council appointed a dark-horse candidate, John Flynn, to replace Gee, on a 3-2 vote. Flynn said he has never been to an airport-commission meeting, and claimed to have no opinion on expansion.
PUBLICATION: Aviation Daily
DATE: September 2, 1997
SECTION: Europe; Vol. 329, No. 44; Pg. 387
DATELINE: Europe
Aviation Daily reports that the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) released a policy statement to European Union members stating that noise abatement measures should be funded by a tax on aircraft fuels. The EEB report also called for strict rules against night flights at Europe's airports, the article says.
The article reports that the EEB says in its "Memorandum to the Luxembourg Presidency and the EU Member States," that despite lower noise emissions per aircraft movement, noise pollution still is rising because of steadily increasing flights. The report criticized the European Commission's recent "green paper" on noise, saying more than technical measures are needed to reduce noise. "We believe that the 'polluter pays' principle should apply to aviation as well," the EEB report says. It went on to urge the European Commission to take a "proactive" position in the current discussion among the 15 member states on an aviation fuel tax, which is favored so far only by the Dutch government.
The article says the EEB report also states, "What citizens living around airports need is a strong restriction of flights from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.," and higher charges for night flights should be used to support the restriction.
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