Noise News for Week of November 30, 1997


California Judge Attempts to Resolve Dispute Between Wedding Retreat Center and Neighbors

PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 4; Zones Desk
BYLINE: Julie Tamaki
DATELINE: Malibu, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Steve Gilbard, Paul Culberg, residents

The Los Angeles Times reports that a hearing held by a state judge in California was intended to avoid a trail over legal arguments between a fancy retreat center in Triunfo Canyon and residents who say the resort causes noise and traffic problems.

According to the article, six permit-related charges and five noise and nuisance complaints stand against Avi Datner and his family, who own the resort. Residents say the county has failed to properly manage the scenic land where the resort resides.

The article notes that noise often originates from guests who honk their horns while leaving the center. Also, traffic on the one road into the resort could delay emergency vehicles in the case of a fire.

The article says that the problem is partly due to outdated zoning laws, which say that a dance tent is allowed. Amplified sound complicates that allowance. The 12,000 square foot tent at the resort has been up for over a year, but the regulation says it may only be up for 180 days. It also may be a fire hazard.

The article reports that one reason the owners don't plan to cave to county demands is because even if they do, there are no guarantees that the required permits will be issued.

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Louisville Airport Gets a New Runway

PUBLICATION: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: News Pg. 01A
BYLINE: Patrick Howington
DATELINE: Louisville, Kentucky

The Courier-Journal reports that the new West Runway at the Louisville (Kentucky) International Airport opened yesterday, joining the parallel East Runway that was completed in 1995. The new runway, which is the key feature of the airport's nearly completed $700 million expansion, will allow two planes to land or take off simultaneously, considerably boosting the airport's capacity. The new runway is expected to give UPS, the airport's largest user, the ability to expand.

According to the article, planes will be able to land on the new runway now only in good weather, because landing instrumentation won't be in place until March. The airport's old North-South Runway will stay open until then. The entire expansion project is expected to be finished by fall, the article says. Still left to complete are two taxiways alongside the West Runway and a base building for the new 287-foot air traffic control tower.

The article explains that no immediate expansion of passenger service is planned, but the new runway should be useful to UPS during its peak Christmas season. UPS paid more than $1 million to get the runway open by today, rather than by next year. Mike Bosc, spokesperson for the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce, lauded the opening of the new runway, saying, "I think this puts us on an equal footing with a lot of the communities that we're competing with." Steve Higdon, the chamber's vice president for business attraction, said it's important to keep UPS, which is the state's largest employer, thriving. He said, "If it's good for UPS, it's going to be good for the community."

According to the article, the airport's expansion project has been marked with both good and bad feelings. Businesses and several thousand residents in nearby neighborhoods were relocated because of the project, which created bitterness that still lingers, the article says. In addition, new noise patterns from the realigned runways required a voluntary buyout of more neighborhoods. However, the article reports, the expansion project already has exceeded the economic gains predicted from it, allowed UPS to continue to expand operations, and allowed development officials to attract businesses that rely on rapid shipping.

The airport already has been growing rapidly, the article notes. Cargo shipments have more than tripled in the past 10 years, making Louisville International the fifth-busiest cargo airport in the United States and eighth in the world, the article says. In addition, passenger movements doubled from about 2 million in 1996 (?mistake) to 4 million last year. The new runway will allow airlines to add more passenger flights if they wish, the article notes.

The article goes on to explain that the additional runway will provide more time and flexibility for package sorting for UPS, which has Louisville as its air hub. According to UPS spokesperson Ken Shapero, UPS planes arrive in Louisville between 11:30 p.m. and about 2:30 a.m., containing packages that need to be sorted. After sorting, the packages are loaded into UPS's outbound planes, which begin departing about 3: 30 a.m. The article explains that this leaves only a short period of time for sorting, but that could change with the parallel runways. Arriving flights could be scheduled to come in two at a time, so that the fleet is on the ground earlier, while departures could be delayed by a half-hour or more. The runways also could save UPS the costs of chartering private jets to deliver late-arriving packages, Shapero said.

The article also explains that the West Runway mostly will be used for departures until March, according to Jim Clark, air traffic manager for the Federal Aviation Administration's control tower at Louisville International. That's because unless the pilot can navigate by sight, there's no way to get an airplane to the runway. Clark added that regular simultaneous departures or arrivals on the two runways probably won't take place until September, when controllers are to move into the new tower and new instrumentation will be in place. However, occasional simultaneous departures could occur before, he said.

The article says that according to Clark, the East Runway will remain more heavily used over the long run, especially by louder turbo jets, because of noise considerations. Some larger jets will require the West Runway, however, because it is longer at 10,000 feet than the East Runway at 7,800 feet.

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Secret Memo By National Park Service Says New Grand Canyon Air Flight Rules Will Not Reduce Noise Enough

PUBLICATION: Greenwire
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: Natural Resources
DATELINE: Phoenix, Arizona

Greenwire reports that according to an article by Steve Yozwiak in the Phoenix Arizona Republic, a "secret" National Park Service memo obtained by the newspaper says the new rules for air flights over the Grand Canyon will do almost nothing to reduce noise over the national park.

According to the article, President Clinton called for a cap on the number of flights over the park as part of his 1996 Earth Day initiative. The plan to reduce flights, which included an 80% reduction of flight corridors over the park, was originally supposed to take effect on May 1, 1997, but due to pressure from the air tour industry, the rules have been delayed till next year. Meanwhile, the U.S. Interior Department and the Federal Aviation Administration have refused to comment on the proposed rules.

According to the National Park Service memo, the park service "does not concur" with the FAA's latest proposal to reduce noise. The memo maintains, "Very large numbers of visitors will hear and notice aircraft." The article reports that the memo claims under the FAA's current proposal, 34.2% of the park would experience natural quiet 75% of the time by 2008. That's only a 1.7% improvement over what would occur if no new regulations were in place, according to the memo. The park service believes the correct interpretation of the 1987 law that prompted new rules is that at least 50% of the park should be free of aircraft at least 75% of the time.

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Planned Firing Range Fiercely Opposed by Connecticut Neighbors

PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Janice D'Arcy
DATELINE: Cheshire, Connecticut
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Mark Branse, attorney for two residents

The Hartford Courant reports that residents in Cheshire, Connecticut pummeled officials from the state Department of Correction with questions and concerns over a planned firing range Monday. The state's planned 75-foot firing range would be located at The Maloney Center for Training and Staff Development, a former prison. The site is less than 1,000 feet from some homes, and is located near homes on Chestnut Street and a few hundred feet from Jarvis Road.

According to the article, the state's plans are for a 16-stall, partially enclosed firing range -- an expanded, remodeled version of the range where department staff members have trained sporadically for more than 20 years. The new range would be larger and more frequently used, according to correction officials, but it also would be safer and less audible than the existing range. Correction Commissioner John Armstrong told the audience that the facility would have 9-foot concrete walls, an insulated ceiling, an 8-foot perimeter fence, and 40-foot sand barriers to contain the bullets. He added that the state already has purchased special equipment to muffle noises from the handguns and rifles.

Despite officials' attempts to allay residents' fears, the article says, residents were fiercely opposed to the project. One resident burst into tears and told officials the neighbors were afraid of having the facility near them. Several residents expressed fear that children may wander into the range or play nearby, causing freak accidents. Mark Branse, a lawyer who was hired by a Chestnut Street couple, said that the promises made by the department officials have been non-binding. He and other residents brought up several concerns, including noise levels, safety precautions, and the orientation of the range, which points toward Chestnut Street. Branse said, "If containment is so absolute, if suppression is so foolproof, if specifications are so safe, then why not rotate the range" so it faces back toward the Maloney center? "Aim it toward this building, then we'll know that every precaution, every precaution, has been taken," Branse said, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.

Officials said that suggestions from the residents would be incorporated into the final plan, but did not suggest how the range might change. A guided tour of the unfinished facility will be given on Saturday, officials said.

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Connecticut Town Council Tables Proposed Noise Ordinance

PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: Towns News; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Dan Uhlinger
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ronald Morin, Town Councilor

The Hartford Courant reports that the Town Council in South Windsor, Connecticut voted Monday to table action on a proposed noise ordinance. The ordinance had been supported by residents and others earlier, but at Monday's meeting several residents and councilors spoke against it. Some opponents said the ordinance shouldn't be stricter than state noise regulations, because it would discourage business.

According to the article, the proposed ordinance reflects the state noise standards, but is stricter in the time of day that businesses must adhere to it. Ronald Morin, a town councilor who led the effort to pass the proposed bylaw, said that it would give the town a strong ordinance and would give officials the ability to enforce noise regulations. The proposed ordinance would allow a fine of $99 per violation per day, the article notes, and would apply mostly to commercial and industrial zones.

The article goes on to say that residents earlier supported a noise ordinance, but at a public hearing before the council meeting several residents spoke against the bylaw, some saying that it was too lenient and others saying it was too strict. In addition, Joseph Carino, a member of the town economic development commission, said that the proposed ordinance shouldn't be any stricter than the state regulations, because a stricter ordinance could discourage business from locating in town. Marge Anthony, the chair of that commission, also spoke against the ordinance and said the commission had voted to oppose it.

The article concludes that after Councilor Morin, a Republican, made a motion to enact the ordinance, the majority controlling the council voted for another motion offered by Democrat Edward Havens to table the matter for further study.

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Environmentalists Call for More Study on Plan for a Commercial Airport Near the Everglades

PUBLICATION: States News Service
DATE: December 2, 1997
BYLINE: Dave Williams
DATELINE: Homestead, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Everglades Coalition; Mark Ferrulo, director, Florida Public Interest Research Group; Sarah Chasis, director, Natural Resources Defense Council's Water and Coastal Program; Joette Lorion, president, Friends of the Everglades

The States News Service reports that a coalition of environmentalists sent a letter to President Clinton dated Monday calling for more study before the federal government signs off on a plan to convert the defunct Homestead Air Force Base, near Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park, into a commercial airport. The group is worried that the noise from the airport could harm the area's wildlife and ruin visitors' experience, and that the project could cause problems for the area's water systems.

According to the article, 18 members of the Everglades Coalition signed the letter, asking for a more detailed examination of the potential environmental effects of operating the airport. The airport would be located 10 miles from Everglades National Park and just two miles from Biscayne National Park. The coalition's letter also suggested that supporters of the project look for other ways to revitalize the Homestead economy and solve space problems at Miami International Airport, the article says.

The article explains that the project would include a terminal building, a first-class hotel, and manufacturing, warehousing, and office space. Supporters say the project could have an economic impact of as much as $12 billion during the next 20 years in an area hit hard by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the subsequent closing of the base, the article says.

However, environmentalists say the proposed airport, which could accommodate up to 231,000 flights per year by 2015, will cause noise that could harm the two national parks' wildlife, especially birds. In addition, the noise could destroy what is supposed to be a tranquil experience for park visitors. Mark Ferrulo, director of the Florida Public Interest Research Group and a signer of the letter, said, "We see it as a real contradiction that President Clinton says we need to reduce noise at the Grand Canyon, while allowing an international airport to built next to the Everglades." The coalition members also are worried that polluted runoff from the project could threaten Biscayne Bay, and water requirements of the development could deplete aquifers that supply the Everglades.

The article goes on to say that the Air Force prepared an environmental-impact study on the conversion plan during 1993 and 1994, but according to Sarah Chasis, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Water and Coastal Program, the study was "cursory" at best. Chasis said, "Details of the proposed project hadn't been flushed out then. The planned scope has changed." Joette Lorion, president of Friends of the Everglades and another signer of the letter, said the study didn't even look at the airport's impacts on the national parks.

Meanwhile, the article reports, supporters of the proposed airport are frustrated that the Air Force still hasn't turned over the land to the project's developers. Alex Penelas, Metro-Dade County Mayor, said recently that he expects a decision by the end of the year. Blanca Mesa, a spokesperson for Penelas, said, "We want to move forward. Any other studies are not necessary."

The article also points out that the Clinton administration has focused on the Everglades as a major priority of its environmental agenda. Vice President Gore visited the national park six months ago to reaffirm the $1 billion federal commitment to restore the Everglades ecosystem, and is due to return on Saturday for the park's 50th anniversary celebration.

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Arlington Heights Takes a Step Toward Joining Supporters of a Third Airport in Chicago Area

PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 1; Zone: SW
BYLINE: Rogers Worthington
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois area

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Village Board in Arlington Heights, Illinois has asked its Advisory Committee on O'Hare International Airport noise to consider the merits of joining a coalition of supporters of a third airport in the Chicago area. If Arlington Heights decides to join the coalition, the article reports, it would be the first northwest suburb other than those in the Suburban O'Hare Commission (a group opposed to O'Hare expansion) to back a third airport.

The article explains that a third regional airport has been proposed for Will County near Peotone, and is being backed by U.S. Representatives Henry Hyde (R-Ill) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill). Municipalities that have decided to back the plan include the south suburbs which would benefit directly from the airport, as well as several suburbs near O'Hare, including Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village, Bensenville, and Des Plaines. The article notes that this is hardly surprising, since these suburbs are members of the anti-noise Suburban O'Hare Commission, which is strongly opposed to any possible expansion at O'Hare.

However, the article goes on to say, Arlington Heights has long stood apart from the third-airport debate. If Arlington Heights officials decide to join the coalition, it would be significant, the article reports, because it would send the message that towns other than the expected ones stand behind the plan. But, the article explains, because many believe that building a third airport would slow growth in the suburbs around O'Hare, some are worried that Arlington Heights could send the wrong message to the business community by making a decision that has been called a vote repudiating O'Hare and the growth it has brought to the region. Furthermore, a decision by the Village Board to support a third airport could put Arlene Mulder, the Arlington Heights Mayor, into a ticklish situation, the article reports. Mulder is chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, which was established and financed by the City of Chicago, O'Hare's owner and operator. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has been one of the strongest opponents of a third airport in the far south suburbs, the article notes. Laurie Stone, president of the Greater O'Hare Association of Business and Commerce, said, "Mayor Mulder would be put in a very peculiar spot."

The supporters of a third airport maintain that the airport is essential to the entire Chicago region, because it would create more jobs for the South Side and southern suburbs, would keep air traffic growing in the area, and would bring more competition to business-class airfares by opening the market to more airlines. But whether that argument convinces suburbs outside those who have long supported a third airport is unclear, the article says. Many believe that with a third regional airport, there would be no need for additional runways at O'Hare, just as more runways at O'Hare could remove the need for a third airport. The forecast for air traffic, the article notes, shows the demand increasing by about 50% by 2010. Supporters of a third airport maintain that if the Chicago area can't accommodate that growth, it will go to airports in other states, resulting in a loss of jobs in Chicago and its suburbs.

Meanwhile, the article says, last week the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference voted to join the coalition in supporting the third airport, and now is urging its 34 member communities to join also. If all join, the article explains, it would nearly double the backing of the 37 communities for the third airport.

Back in Arlington Heights, there are questions that must be answered before Village Trustees can make a decision. One big question is whether flights from O'Hare would be re-routed farther north and west if a third airport is built, in order to avoid air traffic patterns at the new airport. If that happened, Arlington Heights could conceivably experience more noise than it already has.

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New Flight Paths For Australian Airport Would Spread Noise Impacts Around the City

PUBLICATION: AAP Newsfeed
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: Nationwide General News; Australian General News
DATELINE: Sydney, Australia

AAP Newsfeed reports that new airport flight paths for the Sydney, Australia airport were unveiled today by federal Transport Minister Mark Vaile. According to Vaile, the plan would direct as many take-offs as possible over water and non-residential land, which would have the effect of more fairly sharing the aircraft noise around the city.

The article reports that Vaile said, "The plan sets out targets of 55% of movements to the south over Botany Bay, 17% of movements north of the airport, 15% of movements to the west and 13% to the east." Vaile said the new plan was the result of 16 months of public consultation, including many public meetings and 10,000 suggestions. He said, "The best feature of this community-based plan is that the number of people in the worst-affected areas have been more than halved compared with Labor's parallel runway regime."

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Louisville Airport Officials Struggle to Relocate Residents Displaced by Noise from Airport Expansion

PUBLICATION: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: News Pg. 02B
BYLINE: Linda Stahl
DATELINE: Louisville, Kentucky area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Sue and Jim Kustes, residents

The Courier-Journal reports that officials from the Regional Airport Authority of Louisville (Kentucky) and Jefferson County are considering building 450 homes on a site in southern Jefferson County, on Cedar Creek Road, in order to relocate residents displaced by noise from Louisville International Airport's reconfigured runway project. Altogether, 1,650 households are eligible to move in Minor Lane Heights, South Park View, Edgewood, and nearby areas. Governor Paul Patton said recently he'd be willing to use $20 million of the state's surplus to help the people move. However, the article reports, many residents already see problems in the relocation process.

According to the article, the relocation project is expected to take up to nine years, mostly because money from the federal government for replacement homes is coming slowly. But, the article says, if the Cedar Creek Road project moves forward and if the state gives $20 million for the project, the process should speed up.

The article goes on to describe some of the people and problems confronting residents as they consider moving in the Minor Lane Heights area. One resident, Sue Kustes, lives with many of her extended family near the airport. Sue and her husband, Jim, have lived at their home for 30 years, and their son and his family live nearby, where house removal already has begun. Sue said, "This isn't a neighborhood anymore. It's a war zone. They work late at night moving houses. They park in the street. It isn't safe for kids." Sue's son, Greg Kustes, a night-shift worker, tried to reach his wife at home when she went into premature labor recently and found that house movers had blocked his dead-end street for 42 minutes. The article says that they and other Kustes family members settled in the area because they wanted to be near each other, but now they're scheduled for relocation at varying times over about 10 years. Sue Kustes, who probably will be the first in her family eligible to move, said, "I have no idea where to go. I don't want to move away from my family." Sue said she probably won't be able to move into the housing proposed for the Cedar Creek Road area, because her house is worth more than $75,000, the top price of houses to be offered there.

Sue Kustes and others also believe their health is in danger from the increased noise at the airport. Kustes, who is 51, is retired because of a lung disease, and said her condition has worsened since the new runway opened. She has had a mild stroke and more frequent asthmatic attacks, the article reports. She said, "I need out, and they don't care." Meanwhile, her 10-year-old grandson Charlie Rivera, who lives in South Park View, has been dreaming about airplanes crashing into his house.

The article goes on to discuss the fact that the cities of Minor Lane Heights and South Park View have big differences, even though they've been thrown together in the relocation project. Residents in South Park View say their houses and lots are bigger than most of those in Minor Lane Heights. South Park View erected a barrier on Aria Drive years ago in order to curtail drag racing; that barrier closed off the only direct route between the cities, the article says. And, the article reports, Minor Lane Heights has more than six times as many houses as South Park View, with 15% of the houses being rental property. In addition, officials in Minor Lane Heights have told state, county, and airport officials that they want their city to be re-established as a part of any relocation. The housing proposed for Cedar Creek Road is seen by many as an effort to find enough space to relocate Minor Lane Heights, although airport officials have said residents from any of the areas can apply for housing there. One South Park View resident, Shirley Thompson, said she believes property upkeep in her town is better than in Minor Lane Heights, and for that reason, she doesn't want to relocate to the Cedar Creek Road area. "I'd be afraid of getting in with a group that doesn't take care of their homes," she said.

Meanwhile, Fred Williams, the Mayor of Minor Lane Heights, along with other city officials were angry last week after the Airport Authority ignored their recommendation in choosing an engineer to design the new housing site on Cedar Creek Road. Williams said he will meet soon with residents to discuss the city's dealings with the Airport Authority, and he hopes residents consider to sell their property to a private developer and select their own relocation. "It would tickle me to death for everybody to tell them [the Airport Authority] to stick it," he said.

The article concludes that in a survey two years ago, 85% of Minor Lane Heights residents said they would prefer to move as part of a relocated city. However, the article says, it's uncertain how many residents would vote the same way today. Some residents already have plans to leave the county once they get their buyout money.

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Neighborhood Relocation Near Louisville Airport Leaves Residents Uncertain and Distrustful

PUBLICATION: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: News Pg. 02B
BYLINE: Linda Stahl
DATELINE: Louisville, Kentucky area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Mary Jean Whitehouse, resident

The Courier-Journal reports that the Edgewood neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky has been designated a "relocation area" due to noise from the Louisville International Airport. As a result, the neighborhood is slowly being emptied, and the residents who are left wonder continually when they will leave and where they will go, the article says. The situation has left many residents uncertain, resigned, and distrustful, according to the article.

The article goes on to say that the Edgewood neighborhood is hemmed in, not only by the airport, but also by Preston Highway, Fern Valley Road, and Interstate 65. For six years, residents have been leaving the neighborhood as part of the airport relocation plan. The community once had about 900 homes, and now has about 550. Some streets, according to the article, contain boarded-up houses and vacant lots, while others have long empty stretches.

According to the article, many residents are resigned about moving. Reverend Jon Bishop, of nearby Bethlehem Baptist Church, said, "It's a neighborhood in decline, a neighborhood of good people. Many have accepted that change will come." One resident, Jennie Salmon, said she's used to the airport noise but she'll move anyway because she doesn't want to be the only one left in the neighborhood. Another resident, Mary Jean Whitehouse, said she wants to escape the noise, but she's unhappy with the amount of money she's been offered for her home in Edgewood.

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Musicians and Artists Say the Grand Canyon is Losing its Essence Due to Increased Noise and Air Pollution

PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 22A
BYLINE: Steve Yozwiak
DATELINE: Phoenix, Arizona
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Curt Walters, painter; Paul Winter, musician; Gordon Hempton, sound designer

The Dallas Morning News reports that musicians and visual artists are increasingly saying that the Grand Canyon is losing its distinctive essence due to increased noise and air pollution. The article goes on to explore how the works of artist Curt Walters, musician Paul Winter, and other artists have changed over time as the Grand Canyon has experienced increasing impacts from more visitors.

According to the article, noise and air pollution in the Grand Canyon have been studied extensively since the 1970s by scientists, politicians, and activists. However, the article says, artists, through their paintbrushes, cameras, and microphones, also have created more than a century of records about the experience of the Grand Canyon. And these record show a Canyon that's different than it used to be.

The article explains that artist Curt Walters paints images of the Grand Canyon that draw up to $50,000 in galleries from Tokyo to New York. Walters' impressionistic style requires him to paint exactly what he sees, and these days, there's a faint blurriness to his paintings that wasn't there when he started to paint at the Grand Canyon two decades ago. He said, "We actually have more of what I call a subtle sort of haze every day that wasn't there before. It seems when I used to come up here a few years ago, I would have more days when it was absolutely crystal clear. Today, there are a lot of nice days, but there aren't a lot of great days. When you can't see across the canyon, you think, 'Wow! Where did this come from?'"

Another artist, Paul Winter, was a young man in 1963 when he visited the Grand Canyon and played his saxophone on the rim to hear what it would sound like. He wondered what the instrument would sound like deep inside the canyon walls, and in four visits between 1980 and 1985 he found out. He and his band, engineers, photographers, and film crews rafted through the canyon on the Colorado River to create the 1986 album Canyon and the film Canyon Consort. During the past three years, Winter has returned to his favorite canyon alcove to record Canyon Lullaby, his just-released solo effort. The acoustics in the canyon, Winter said, are similar to those of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. "It's just the richest acoustics of anywhere I've visited on Earth. Very deep," he said. "It gives you a sense that you are communing, in a way, with the Earth. I'm part of the life stream." However, Winter reported, aircraft noise made the recent recording very difficult. After waiting for the right accompaniment of birds, Winter would begin recording, only to be stopped by noise from a plane or helicopter after a few minutes. At times, the recording sessions were interrupted up to eight times an hour, he said. Eventually, the crew started recording at night, accompanied by crickets instead of birds. Winter said the aircraft noise "seems to be more intense than it used to be." He added, "When you're down there on a listening mission, you notice the air traffic more than if you were just sightseeing."

The article goes on to say that writers and explorers such as Zane Grey and John Wesley Powell have been moved by the Grand Canyon's silence. In his 1920 book, the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, John Van Dyke wrote, "Out of the silence perhaps one gathers the feeling of repose.... Everything is done with calmness.... Therefore is there peace, and with it repose and silence -- the silence that suggests eternity."

But today, artists say the air and noise pollution at the Grand Canyon are bad and getting worse. Some artists won't go to the crowded South Rim anymore during the busy summer months, and others won't go to the canyon at all. Gordon Hempton, a sound designer for Microsoft Corp. best known as the "Sound Tracker" for his recordings of the world's quietest places, said, "The quiet places are really vanishing. The Grand Canyon is a waste of time for nature sound recordists." Jack Dykinga, a Tucson photographer who has taken nearly 6,000 shots of the canyon, said he won't even try to take photos during the busy summer months. He said there are days when whole rolls of film are useless because jet vapor trails mar the sky. "You can't see that far. That's the most notable change. It's definitely hazier," he said.

But, the article says, the artists realize the canyon is not their private playground and that their works may even cause more people to visit, making worse the very air and noise pollution they dislike. Winter said he hoped that if his music draws visitors to the Grand Canyon, it also encourages them to experience the canyon's dwindling silence. "I would hope that with music made in the canyon . . . it would maybe touch people on a level of sensitivity so they would come there with some reverence," he said.

Another musician, Barry Socher, a violinist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic who has given private rafting concerts in the canyon since 1976, said he tries to understand why people would disturb the peace of other visitors. "I'm trying to put myself in the place of someone who comes to the Grand Canyon for the first time," he said. " Flying . . . seems to be a pretty nifty idea. But from the viewpoint of someone in the canyon, the more flights there are, the less of a really quality experience it's going to be."

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Report Available on Health Effects of Noise Exposure and Relation Noise Information

PUBLICATION: Industrial Health & Hazards Update
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: No. 12, Vol. 97; ISSN: 0890-3018
DATELINE: U.S.

The Industrial Health & Hazards Update reports that a report is available containing up to 250 abstracts of available studies, reports, papers, and other documentation related to the health impacts of noise pollution and other noise-related information.

According to the article, the report is from the Pollution Abstracts Database, and contains abstracts of reports on occupational, residential, aircraft-related, and automotive noise stress; noise control; noise reduction; diagnosis and pathology of hearing loss; regulations and legislation regarding noise pollution; personal protection; therapy; risk assessment; and other related factors such as sound levels, sound frequencies, and exposure times. The report also outlines how to acquire each publication, and has extensive indexing to make it easy to find reports on many topics.

To order this publication, contact: InfoTeam Inc., P.O. Box 15640, Plantation, FL 33318-5640; Phone 954-473-9560; Fax 954-473-0544; ask for report # HN961005; price is $299, pre-paid; the latest 50-250 citations are updated to the date of your order.

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Polar Air Cargo Asks U.S. Government to Impose Restrictions on Certain Airlines to Compensate for Strict Noise Restrictions at Amsterdam Airport

PUBLICATION: Journal of Commerce
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 1A
BYLINE: Michele Kayal
DATELINE: Washington, D.C.

The Journal of Commerce reports that officials from Polar Air Cargo, a growing U.S. airline that has its European hub at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, have asked the U.S. government to take steps to punish Dutch air carriers in retaliation for strict noise restrictions set at the airport. Polar Air officials say the airport's new regulations will drive them out of the air cargo market.

The article reports that Schiphol Airport's new noise restrictions ban all flights between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and effectively outlaw the Boeing 747-100 aircraft; Polar Air's fleet of 17 consists of 14 of those aircraft, the article says.

The article goes on to say that Polar Air executives said the new restrictions would hurt Polar and thereby benefit its main competitor, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. In addition, Polar executives said the restrictions could endanger their planned scheduling of cargo service to Africa, which they hope to start next spring and which would be the first such service from the U.S. In retaliation, Polar executives have asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to deny KLM permission to start service to Calcutta, India, through its alliance with Northwest Airlines; and to not renew the Dutch carrier Martinair's certificate to operate through the United States to Latin America. The article explains that U.S. officials are reviewing the request.

Meanwhile, the article says, Dutch government officials said the noise restrictions are necessary to protect the environment, and that they are being applied to all airlines in a "nondiscriminatory and transparent way." They insist that any retaliatory actions by the U.S. would be unwarranted. One Dutch official predicted that the U.S. would ultimately deny Polar's request. Kees Den Braven, head of the air transport policy division at the Netherlands Ministry of Transport, said, "If KLM flies to Chicago, KLM has to stick to the local rules put forth by Chicago, and the same is the case if an American airline operates to Schiphol. This is not a reason for the American authorities to take action. Polar Air is not the only airline not allowed to fly during the night. For example, Dutch carrier Martinair also is not allowed to take off from Schiphol with certain types of aircraft."

Meanwhile, the article says, executives at Martinair said the noise restrictions will cost them 25 scheduled all-cargo flights during the winter season and cause the permanent removal of five flights from their schedule, translating into revenue of about $7 million. KLM executives say the new rules don't affect their operations.

The article goes on to explain that since the KLM-Northwest alliance was finalized in 1992, air traffic and noise levels at Schiphol have risen dramatically. In 1995, the Dutch government expected growth to reach 44 million passengers a year by 2015. Instead, that number was expected to be reached at the end of 1997, a full 12 years ahead of schedule. Dutch airport authorities also found that heavy jets such as the 747-100 use more than 50% of the nighttime noise quota, but account for only 13% of total movements, the article says.

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Rhode Island Town Considers Proposal for Auto Racetrack

PUBLICATION: Providence Journal-Bulletin
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. 1C
BYLINE: Courtney Lilly
DATELINE: Richmond, Rhode Island

The Providence Journal-Bulletin reports that the final session of a public hearing regarding a zoning change that would bring an auto racetrack to Richmond, Rhode Island will take place tonight. The article notes that a noise expert has testified on behalf of the developers that noise from the racetrack will meet the town's noise limit.

The article reports that the developers, Charles Lombardi and Alton Smyth, are asking that a 300-acre site off Route 138 be rezoned from residential to general business in order to build Rhode Island Raceway Park, a 5,000-seat, quarter-mile drag racing track. The article notes that last year, the same developers proposed a similar facility for the Port of Providence, but changed their plan to Richmond when the original proposal stalled in zoning hearings. If the facility is built, the article says, it will be the first sanctioned auto racing complex in the state.

The article goes on to say that experts hired by the developers have dominated the time at the previous public hearings. Experts have testified that the track would be compatible with the Richmond Comprehensive Plan; that there would be no environmental problems, including no oil and gasoline leaks into the groundwater; and that the increased traffic of 1,600 cars per race day during the summer would not cause a significant impact. In addition, Douglass Barrett, an acoustical consultant, said that with mufflers and sound barriers, the track would comply with the town noise limit of 60 decibels.

After tonight's hearing, the article concludes, the Town Council will have 45 days in which to render a decision on the request for the zone change.

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Hong Kong Airport to Move; Massive Truck Convoy Will Cause Massive Noise

PUBLICATION: South China Morning Post
DATE: December 1, 1997
SECTION: Pg. 5
BYLINE: John Flint
DATELINE: Kowloon, Hong Kong

The South China Morning Post reports that the Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon, Hong Kong is scheduled to close next year, and the city is expected to thunder with early morning noise from heavy trucks making hundreds of trips as equipment is moved to the new Chek Lap Kok Airport.

According to the article, the Airport Authority expects the move to occur in April, and plans are for operations to be shifted to the new airport overnight. Equipment will be moved by land, sea, and air, the article says. The equipment that is too large to be transported by road will go by barge, and other equipment will be flown to the new airport. Elizabeth Bosher, the planning and co-ordination director of the move, said the police will have a lot of control over which equipment goes by which route. She said, "We have to consider bottlenecks forming. Some vehicles will have to be moved in convoy and at certain stages may require an escort, for example, going across the Lantau Link. The plan will probably be fine-tuned right up until the button is pressed." She added that so far, plans do not call for the roads to be closed to other traffic.

The article notes that Cathay Pacific plans to send 64 heavy vehicles on a total of 180 trips, using four routes to the new airport In addition, the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals, and other airlines and catering companies also are expected to move tons of equipment on the moving night.

Meanwhile, the article says, district boards will hold briefings to warn residents of noise along the routes. Residents who live near Kai Tak Airport also will have to put up with late-night aircraft noise because the curfew will be later on the last night.

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New York Community Cracks Down On Ice Cream Vendor Noise

PUBLICATION: Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ)
DATE: December 6, 1997
SECTION: A, Pg. 4
BYLINE: Stephanie Hoo
DATELINE: Long Beach Township, New York

The Asbury Park Press reports that the Board of Commissioners in Long Beach Township, New York last night approved new restrictions on ice cream vendors, limiting the amount of noise vendors can make.

According to the report under the new rules, vendors may not play mechanical music that runs continuously and they may not shout. They can only ring hand bells. They also cannot use noisy, unlicensed generators. Ideally, these noise limits will make the alternate-street rules of this past summer unnecessary, Commissioner Peter L. Murphy said.

The report says that responding to complaints about the noise and congestion generated by ice cream trucks, officials this summer imposed rules requiring that vendors only sell on even-number streets some days and odd-number streets other days. But, "we got a lot of appeals from the vendors. They didn't like the rules, so we had a meeting," Murphy said. It was vendors who recommended the new rules, he said. But vendor Jeffrey S. Cabaniss of Jef-Freeze Treats said the new rules are unfair to him. He charged that he is being singled out since, as the only vendor selling soft-serve ice cream, he is the only one who plays continuous mechanical music and shouts out to customers. "This is how I identify myself as a soft-serve truck, by playing my music," Cabaniss said. He said he could not attend the September meeting because he was on vacation.

According to the article, vendor Jim Raylman of Bun-Jim Ice Cream, who did attend the meeting, praised the new rules and officials' attention to vendors' concerns. "I really feel that the changes in the ordinance are going to benefit everyone," he said.

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Bangkok Residents Complain That Boat Noise Causes Hearing Problems

PUBLICATION: The Bangkok Post
DATE: December 6, 1997
SECTION: Pg. 03
BYLINE: Poona Antaseeda
DATELINE: Bangkok, Thailand
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Mrs. Piak, resident; Mrs. Khaek, resident; Yuthana Nuchan, merchant; Srisuwan Chanya, Assistant Secretary General, Anti-Air Pollution and Environmental Protection Foundation

The Bangkok Post describes how residents of Bangkok, Thailand are weary of the noise pollution created by boats in Bangkok's canals.

The article describes how housewife Piak, 34, was more than a little upset when a speeding taxi boat splashed water into her dish of Nam Prik Kapi (shrimp paste) while she was eating in her canal-side home. She shouted at the boatman but her voice did not carry over the sound of the boat's engine as he sped off down klong Saen Saep. Just like hundreds of her neighbors, Mrs. Piak has to put up with the terrible noise of the boats for 14-15 hours a day. "The noise bothers me. It wakes me up at 5 a.m. everyday and I have to put up with it until the boats stop running at 8 p.m.," she said.

According to the article, Shuttle boats run from Phan Fah to Sri Boonruang pier between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday to Friday at five-minute intervals. At weekends they run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at seven-minute intervals.

The article says Mrs Piak and her husband have lived in their rented house next to the klong for eight months. Their house stands near Boe Bae pier in Pom Prab district. They are so upset with the boats that they want to move to get away from the noise, exhaust fumes, and the smelly splashed canal water. Like other housewives in the Mahanak community of Pom Prab district, Mrs Piak has noticed that she is suffering from hearing problems. "When my husband talks with me I always ask him to repeat what he's saying. I don't know who to lodge my complaints with. I wonder why they don't reduce the levels of noise and speed. "It would be better if they did... Then the clothes on the line and even my television would no longer get wet."

The article goes on to describe, Khaek, 42, another housewife from the community. Mrs. Khaek said: "My husband often gets angry and stops talking with me when I ask him to repeat things. I can't hear clearly but my husband has no problem because he doesn't have to stay at home all day." Mrs Khaek said she wanted the boats to slow down because their wakes were eroding the canal bank and shaking her house. She used to complain to boat operator Krob Krua Khon Song Co but nothing improved. Yuthana Nuchan, 26, who sells clothes near Boe Bae pier, said: "When I started trading here seven months ago I was frustrated having to put up with these boats. Now I am used to it." He said he was suffering from hearing problems as well and wanted to move.

According to the report, Srisuwan Chanya, assistant secretary-general of the Anti-Air Pollution and Environmental Protection Foundation, said boat noise was found to measure 80-90 dBa on average and was over this at major piers such as Phan Fah, Sri Boonrung, Pratunam, and Klong Ton. He said: "The Harbor Department has been lax in enforcing regulations and no one dare suspend the operations of Krob Krua Khon Song Co because they fear complaints from commuters."

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Proposed Kennel Expansion in Britain May Be Rejected Due To Noise

PUBLICATION: The Northern Echo
DATE: December 6, 1997
BYLINE: Bessie Robinson
DATELINE: Copley, England

The Northern Echo reports that a proposal to expand a dog kennel in Copley, England may be rejected due to the concern for noise pollution that would be created by the additional animals.

According to the Northern Echo, animal lovers who held a silent protest against a proposed puppy farm learned yesterday that their campaign looks likely to succeed because of the noise factor. Councilors who are to decide next week whether kennels in the village of Copley can be used for breeding have been advised to refuse planning permission for the scheme. They will be told by Teesdale District Council planning officers that the extra dogs will create a noise nuisance for people living in houses less than 100 yards away.

The article says Douglas Fox, the owner of Glencrest Boarding Kennels, wants to extend his property to create 42 kennels with fenced outside exercise runs, a vet's room and feed store. The development would create 16 jobs.

According to the report, the council, which receives daily letters objecting to the scheme, has always insisted that it would give its verdict purely on planning grounds. Even new measures suggested by Mr. Fox's agent could not persuade planning officers that noise levels could be kept down. A report to the council's planning committee meeting says: "Noise from barking dogs would be heard from neighboring residential properties and would cause unreasonable nuisance to the occupiers."

The report says the comments were welcomed last night by animal rights activist Diane Sanderson, one of the organizers of the Copley Beagle Campaign which has mounted a series of protests, including a candlelight vigil, in the village. She says the extra kennels would be used to breed beagles which would be sold to vivisection laboratories. "We are really happy that the planning report is suggesting refusal. But we cannot be complacent because we know that the committee still has to decide," she said. Protestors have bombarded every member of the development committee with information on the use of animals in experiments. Sixty posters went up in Copley and nearby villages yesterday inviting residents to a demonstration at the kennels at noon tomorrow. The campaigners also want opponents to lobby committee members as they arrive for the meeting, which starts at 10am on Wednesday at the district council's offices in Barnard Castle.

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Ottawa Plans Airport Expansion

PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen
DATE: December 6, 1997
SECTION: Business; Pg. H1 / Front
BYLINE: Bert Hill
DATELINE: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Ottawa Citizen reports that due to increased demand, the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Canada will need to expand soon. Citizens are concerned about noise traffic and the expense of the new facility.

According to the article, traffic at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is growing at breakneck speed -- and is expected to average 5.7 per cent annually over the next three years. The airport needs 50 per cent more aircraft docking gates and a major expansion of aircraft taxiways to fix serious operational and regulatory problems, planners say. Its international passenger and luggage services are obsolete and overloaded. And parking lots operate at 90 per cent of capacity.

The report says on Tuesday, the people working on a new master plan for the airport expansion are holding a public meeting at the RA Center on Riverside Drive from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The public will get a chance to discuss concerns about growth, traffic and airport noise.

So far, the report says, the $500,000 planning study is still defining the pieces in the puzzle. The next question will be how best to fit the pieces together at a price the public can accept. The final answers are not expected until next summer. Planners are studying several paths for change, including a major expansion or replacement of the 35-year-old terminal building and the expansion of aircraft docking, taxiway and runway areas. The price tag will probably exceed $150 million. By 2020, they anticipate, the airport will need a major new runway costing $45 million and possibly a new terminal costing $300 million to $500 million. "We have a terminal that was built in the 1960s but can't meet the needs of the mid-'90s, let alone the next century," said airport president Paul Benoit. "The master plan is a job we have to get right because we will get only one kick at the can."

The report describes how expanding the airport raises other major issues including increased traffic on the Airport Parkway and Bronson Avenue, new aircraft noise patterns over proposed subdivisions in Gloucester and Nepean and the impact on the environment. It also involves making changes that could affect major tenants at the airport, including a Department of Transport hangar and National Research Council testing facilities. One thing is certain: The public will soon start paying for the changes. The Ottawa Airport Authority is expected to introduce a user fee of about $10 per passenger, following the lead of airports in Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton. However, the increase could also be buried in ticket prices, as Calgary has done and Toronto probably will do. "We will not have increases until we have a plan and people know what they are paying for," Mr. Benoit said.

According to the report, the airport hired Maxgroup Associates to develop a new master plan,. Maxgroup Associates is a local consulting engineering company that worked on the Ottawa Health Sciences Center, the U.S. Embassy and major local transportation studies, and Landrum & Brown, U.S. airport engineering experts who have worked on New York's JFK International, Los Angeles International and Toronto's Pearson International. The man with the job of keeping all the issues in focus is Bob Ridley, a soft-spoken engineer with more than 20 years' experience. His group launched the study earlier this fall by forecasting future traffic growth based on independent studies and interviews with government experts, carriers and airline manufacturers. "Once we were satisfied with the traffic forecasts, we started looking at the ability of the runways and taxiways around the terminal to handle the increase in load. "Clearly, there are major hurdles to overcome. The airport has 19 gates now and needs seven more now -- and more in the near future to handle the traffic."

The article describes how to most Ottawa residents, these problems are largely invisible. But from passengers sitting in on an airline on the tarmac for 15 minutes for a gateway to open to airlines absorbing increased costs and to the airport workers constantly towing aircraft around cramped landing areas, the problems are real. The next phases will take the study into the terminal for detailed financial analysis of the costs of expansion or replacement. A critical and expensive issue is balancing the costs of moving runways, taxiways and major adjacent tenants, like a Transport hangar, as well as moving the terminal building. Then the study moves on to parking, cargo handling and other issues.

The article says the current terminal was last expanded in 1987 to handle passenger traffic of 2.4 million. Traffic will increase by 10 per cent this year to reach 3.1 million. The big factors behind this extraordinary growth rate are a buoyant high-tech-driven economy, new customs clearance facilities and a sharp increase in new carriers offering expanded service to new U.S. destinations. The planners predict that these same factors will drive up airport traffic to 3.6 million passengers in 2000.

According to the article, Mr. Ridley said the current main east-west runway, plus the north-south runway, will probably do the job until a new runway can be built. The north-south runway can't be used heavily because it creates noise patterns over populated areas. Some of those problems will ease when the last of the noisy, older-generation jets disappear from service in five years. The development of new, small commuter passenger jets is allowing many carriers to open direct routes from Ottawa to many new U.S. cities. But the future growth of the Ottawa airport will be limited by airline economics and competition. The high cost of running airlines forces major carriers to feed traffic from spokes such as Ottawa into major hubs such as Toronto, which handles eight times more passenger traffic than Ottawa and is expected to dominate Eastern Canadian regional traffic into the future. In addition, Ottawa can only open or expand new links with many U.S. and overseas destinations if landing gates open up at these places. But shortages of gates and near-monopoly conditions in some of these airports makes it difficult to expand. Another factor in a slowing of the growth curve in the next century is that Ottawa flights average only 50 per cent capacity compared with 60 per cent industry-wide.

Still, the article says Mr. Ridley anticipates that by 2020 the existing runways will reach capacity, setting the stage for a new parallel runway and possibly a new terminal about a kilometer south of the current terminal. The planning study will probably recommend that land for a new terminal and major new runway be set aside. In the meantime, the planners are wrestling with more immediate problems of moving airplanes and passengers around the terminal. That means something has to give: the taxiways or the terminal. The terminal is inadequate for international flights. With just one baggage carousel and room for 160 passengers, the airport can't handle more than one large jet with 400 passengers at one time. Opening the new customs clearance center has eased the pressure on ticketing services in the main terminal. But that space is too narrow to operate efficiently and all the terminal floors need replacing. The custom clearance facilities, which opened in July, will have to expand in three years to keep U.S. authorities happy.

According to the article, the airport is spending $7 million this year to fix some short-term problems, including improving roads, upgrading the tarmac and fixing washrooms and fire safety equipment. Major improvements to restaurant and retail concessions are under way, including construction of a new restaurant and brew pub. A new Battery Plus store catering to people wanting to buy electronic gizmos opened last month, and more stores are expected. A survey showed the average traveler spends $ 11.62 at the terminal, with business travelers -- about 69 per cent of all traffic -- leading the way with average spending of $ 15.16. The airport is counting on expanded retail and food revenues to help pay the bills. It is also aggressively pursuing high-tech companies to pour more advertising into the terminal and making it a showcase for the industry. Big signs for Nortel and Newbridge now flank the escalators to the departure level.

The article says last year, the airport generated about $25 million in landing fees, parking, shops and concessions and spent about $22 million on operations. The independent airport authority, which took over operation of the airport from the federal government early this year, pays $4 million annually in rental fees under a 60-year lease. The expansion of U.S. and international flights has created much of the new growth in airline traffic at the airport. But traffic to Canadian destinations will continue to be the airport's bread-and-butter operations, generating more than 80 per cent of all traffic into the future. A survey found that Toronto generates 23 per cent of departures. Vancouver and Winnipeg came a distant second at about eight per cent. New York City was the biggest foreign destination, but with only one per cent of traffic.

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Florida Community To Decide Whether To Outlaw Outdoor Concerts

PUBLICATION: The Tampa Tribune
DATE: December 6, 1997
SECTION: Pasco, Pg. 2
BYLINE: Mathew Horridge
DATELINE: Port Richey, Florida

The Tampa Tribune reports that Pasco County (Florida) commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to grant a permit for an outdoor concert at Harmony Park.

The report says neighbors don't like the idea and sheriff's officers aren't real crazy about it either, but county officials can't see a reason not to allow an outdoor concert next month. County commissioners, who have the final say, will decide Tuesday whether Kathleen Anderson and her SRO Productions Inc. can hold the second annual Festa Italiana at Harmony Park. The commission meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pasco County Courthouse, 38053 Live Oak Ave. in Dade City.

According to the report, Anderson wants to turn a nine-acre tract next to her chiropractic office on Ridge Road into a permanent concert facility that would hold a variety of shows from September through May. The initial plans for Harmony Park, just west of Regency Park Boulevard on the north side of Ridge Road, called for a first show that promised to bring in rock 'n' roll legends such as Chuck Berry. But Anderson had to pull the plug on the show because her production company hadn't secured the necessary county permits.

The report says Cindy Jolly, Pasco's code enforcement director, has recommended county commissioners issue the permit as long as SRO Productions holds less than four weeks worth of entertainment every six months, provides traffic control, prohibits on-street parking and doesn't install any permanent fixtures. SRO Productions has indicated it will have eight off-duty Florida Highway Patrol troopers and 12 private security officers to help with traffic control and parking.

In letters to county officials, the article says two sheriff's officers - Lt. Frank Laton and Capt. Tom Brooks - recommended against approving the permit because of traffic tie-ups the concerts likely will cause. More than 200 residents of nearby subdivisions signed petitions, mostly railing against anticipated traffic and noise problems, urging commissioners to reject the permit. County commissioners rarely reject their staff's recommendations, especially when - as in this case - officials indicate an applicant has met all the legal requirements to get a permit.

According to the article, Anderson said she's excited about the Jan. 10 concert, from 1 to 9 p.m., and thinks even those who object to Harmony Park will come to love it. Many people have called to tell her they didn't sign the petition. "They have told me, "Don't think that is the way we all feel,' " said Anderson.

Noise won't really be a consideration at Harmony Park, especially for its opening show, she said. "People are worried about it being too loud. Frankie Laine (one of the show's headliners) is 84 years old. How loud can he get?"

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Planners In New Mexico Consider Airport Noise In Decision About Proposed Development

PUBLICATION: Albuquerque Tribune
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Pg. A2
BYLINE: John Hill
DATELINE: Albuquerque, New Mexico area

The Albuquerque Tribune reports that Albuquerque, New Mexico area officials are considering a proposal for an enormous development project on a vast tract of open mesa. Among the concerns for the project are the impact of jet noise from a nearby airport on the potential community.

According to the report, Albuquerque City officials got their first chance to respond to a proposed development project whose size could rival today's Northeast Heights, and agreed there's much work to be done before earth is turned. Among the concerns about Mesa del Sol, south of the Albuquerque International Sunport, are whether its "urban center" would compete with Uptown and Downtown; whether its proposed mix of jobs and housing is too optimistic; and how the development would be affected by jet noise from the nearby airport. The State Land Office, which holds land in trust for New Mexico schools, wants to turn a vast tract of open mesa into what amounts to a self-contained city of 97,000 people in 39 neighborhoods over the next 50 to 75 years.

The article says the project incorporates many elements of "new urbanism" to conserve resources and encourage a feeling of community. While applauding those aspects of the project, an initial analysis by city planning staff raises several large-scale questions. The analysis was presented Thursday to the Environmental Planning Commission, which agreed to defer further consideration of the project until a public hearing on Jan. 8. It's unlikely that the planning commission will be ready to make a recommendation to the City Council, which must approve the overall plan, even at that meeting. One important question is what affect developing Mesa del Sol, which was annexed into the city in 1993, will have on the city's ability to build roads and water and sewer lines in other growing parts of the city, said Sandy Fish, senior planner for the city. The city's public works department, for instance, estimates that it would cost $100 million to build roads to serve the development.

The report says the city and the State Land Office agree that the development should be done at no net cost to the city. But it's still very uncertain how the city will tally what its expenses are for providing services against what Mesa del Sol contributes to the city -- in the form, for instance, of open space or parks. "A lot of it is going to take numbers-crunching and negotiations," Fish said. "That's one we're going to have to grapple our way through." In fact, much of what goes on with Mesa del Sol will be breaking new ground for the city, because it is the first project to be considered under a "planned communities" designation adopted in 1991. That category of land use is meant to encourage stand-alone communities on the city's edges, complete with urban centers, individual villages and workplaces.

The report says the staff analysis questions whether Mesa del Sol's proposed urban center might draw resources away from Uptown and Downtown, especially when these two places "are having trouble maintaining their desired character and roles." It also questions a proposal to set up separate park and drainage districts for Mesa del Sol, how many improvements will have to be made to major roadways to provide access to the site and the availability of water. The drainage plan for the project is so much at odds with what's normally done that it would require changing the city's drainage ordinance, the staff report says.

The article says in addition to worries about jet noise, the city's aviation department wonders if traffic would affect an airport freight facility and whether birds at proposed wildlife habitats would endanger incoming planes. The Mesa del Sol plan envisions about one job for each resident. That varies considerably from the countywide average of about two residents for each job, Fish said. Those numbers are crucial, he said, because the number of people who have to leave Mesa del Sol to go to work has a big impact on the road and transit systems.

The report says the State Land Office is hoping to agree with the city on fundamental questions so it can start seeking bids from the private developers who would build Mesa del Sol, said Harry Relkin, assistant land commissioner. He invited the city to help choose a developer, and said some major builders in the United States and worldwide have shown an interest in the project.

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New York Community Shelves Proposed Noise Ordinance

PUBLICATION: The Buffalo News
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Local, Pg. 5B
DATELINE: East Aurora, New York

The Buffalo News reports that East Aurora (New York) Village Board this week tabled a noise ordinance after several trustees and residents expressed concern that the law may prove unenforceable.

According to the report, under the proposal, "unnecessary" noise from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. would be prohibited. That would include more than 15 minutes of a barking dog or a shrieking burglar alarm and a radio, tape player, television or tape deck "that reproduces or amplifies sound in such a manner as to be heard 60 feet from its source or over any property line." The outdoor operation of power equipment, including snowblowers and lawnmowers, in residential zones between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. would also be prohibited, as would "excessive squealing" of automobile tires and demolition and excavation noise between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. "except in case of an emergency." Fines under the ordinance are not to exceed $250.

The report says Deputy Mayor Christine Peters said the proposed law is "mostly geared toward residential areas." But Trustee Donald Nieman called it a "living room law" by allowing residents to call police from their homes instead of dealing directly with their neighbors. Nieman called the proposed legislation an "overreaction" to a few isolated instances of excessive noise complaints in the village this year. Ms. Peters said church bells would be exempted from the new law, if adopted. Knox Road resident Arthur Giacalone said that he is "concerned about a law that people can use against their neighbors," calling some those neighbors potentially "cantankerous." Giacalone, an attorney, said the phrase "unreasonable noise" has been construed by the State Court of Appeals to be "too vague," and calls the proposed legislation "too restrictive" and "extensive."

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California Community Resists Plan For Football Stadium

PUBLICATION: The Daily News of Los Angeles
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. N4
BYLINE: Sharline Chiang
DATELINE: Northridge, California

The Daily News of Los Angeles reports that homeowners in Northridge, California expressed concern Thursday about potential increases in noise and traffic if a proposed football stadium is built in the North Campus area of California State University.

The report says the homeowners were among 25 people who attended a public meeting to aid the university's efforts to complete an environmental impact report on its proposed master plan. "You put the football field right in front of our bedrooms, our patios and our living rooms. That's not being sensitive to the community," said Susan Parmelee, a resident of the nearby Northridge Townhomes Estates. "On weekends it's going to be unbearable," she said.

According to the report, for the first time in years, CSUN is creating a comprehensive master plan to make both the main campus and North Campus more attractive and more convenient to the public. Features of the master plan include new buildings financed with earthquake recovery funds, redesigned campus roads, increased landscaping and a new football stadium that would hold as many as 15,000 people. Most of the projects called for under the master plan are expected to be completed by December 1999, campus officials said. Though the university is not required by law to hold a public meeting in the EIR process, officials called it a necessary step to further include the community at large in its steps toward redesigning the campus. "We feel we have an obligation to inform the public and that they should help us identify the issues that need to be addressed," said Frank Wein, head of the North Campus development projects. Before the master plan is submitted to the California State University Board of Trustees in May, an environmental impact report must be prepared showing how the proposed master plan will affect land use, aesthetics, light glare, transportation and circulation, geology, noise, air quality, and utilities. The report will evaluate, among other proposals listed in the plan, the impact of building and operating biotech labs and entertainment studios on the North Campus. A public hearing on the draft report will be held in mid-February, and a second public hearing will be held in mid-May, Wein said.

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California Officials Attempt To Set Curfews For Airport Noise

PUBLICATION: The Daily News of Los Angeles
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. N8
BYLINE: Patrick McGreevy
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Steve Meister and David Rankell, members, Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

The Daily News of Los Angeles reports that the city Airport Commission voted Thursday to expand the curfew for airplanes at Van Nuys (California) airport, but delayed new limits on noisy jets located at the airfield after hearing opposition from tenants of the facility.

The report says the ordinance approved by the commission prohibits noisy jets from taking off after 10 p.m., rather than the current 11 p.m. curfew. The broader curfew now goes to the City Council, where it is likely to be approved according to Tom Henry, an aide to Councilman Joel Wachs. It would go into effect shortly after the mayor signs it.

According to the report, Airport Commission President Dan Garcia said the panel would schedule a public hearing in the San Fernando Valley in 90 days to give residents and jet operators a chance to provide more input on the proposed "no addition rule" for noisy Stage 2 jets. Garcia said he wants to reduce the nuisance caused by jet noise for people who live around Van Nuys Airport. "On the other hand we don't want to destroy people's jobs," he said. The commission previously had approved the "no addition rule" and the curfew expansion in one ordinance, but it ran into opposition that made City Council approval unlikely. The council can approve or disapprove an ordinance, but it cannot make amendments. Henry asked the Airport Commission on Thursday to approve the curfew expansion as a new, separate ordinance, because it is supported by both sides and can be adopted by the council while more work is done on the "no addition rule."

The report says Henry said an ad hoc committee of airport tenants and homeowners has agreed to meet and try to work out a compromise on the "no addition rule." "It's like Nyquil," Henry said of Thursday's action. "It provides nighttime relief to noise. But we're still looking for a 24-hour solution." The "no addition rule" would prohibit airport tenants from locating additional Stage 2 jets at Van Nuys, but tenants say it will hurt their ability to stay in business. "We feel that it's very detrimental," said Harold Lee, president of the Van Nuys Airport Association, a tenants group. Lee asked for time for an ad hoc committee of tenants and residents to meet and win support for the commission to have the airport staff update noise and economic studies of the proposed new rule.

However, the article continues, Steve Meister and David Rankell of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, questioned the credibility of the ad hoc committee, saying it is dominated by tenant interests. Rankell also said the ordinances miss a key issue by not extending limits to helicopters that use Van Nuys Airport as a base and often take off early in the morning. "A great deal of the population is bothered by helicopter noise, not just Stage 2 jet noise, " Rankell said. Garcia noted that the commission has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to consider allowing the city to better regulate helicopters.

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Park Service To Fly Quieter Helicopters Over Grand Canyon

PUBLICATION: The Helicopter News
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 23, No. 25
DATELINE: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Helicopter News reports that the U.S. National Park Service will lease a state of the art quiet-technology helicopter for use over the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

The article says that amid concern for the reduction of noise over National Park land, the National Park Service has contracted Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, to provide helicopter services at the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), using the Boeing [BA] MD Explorer. Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters will lease the helicopter to the National Park Service on a five year, annually renewable, exclusive use contract starting Dec. 15 and worth a reported $4.5 million. The lease will provide the Park Service with a state-of-the-art quiet-technology helicopter. Hailed by Boeing as "environmentally friendly," the MD Explorer employs the NOTAR system and is certified as the quietest helicopter in its class.

According to the report, helicopter noise was an issue the Park Service could not ignore when it contracted for the use of the Explorer. "I know this is why they [the Park Service] requested a quiet technology helicopter," said Rick Carrick, Papillon's director of operations. Carrick told Helicopter News the MD Explorer was purchased with the sole intention of being offered to the Park Service. According to Boeing, the lease will allow the Park Service to be among the first to comply with new FAA regulations mandating a turn to quieter aircraft. As many contend the Park Service is the most likely helicopter operator to come in contact with the largest number of tourists, the decision to use the Explorer is welcomed as a meaningful step toward ameliorating a tense situation (Helicopter News Nov. 21). The helicopter will be used to fly search and rescue, fire fighting, and logistical support missions.

The report says in addition to the MD Explorer, another Boeing quiet-technology helicopter, the MD 600N, will begin operations with Papillon competitor AirStar Helicopters in the "next few weeks." With regard to combating the immediate noise issue, Papillon has also purchased two new Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] 407 helicopters that will be provided with "hush kits" to insure quieter operations over the canyon. However, in the future Papillon hopes to resolve future noise matters by employing its own solution the S-55QT "Whisper Jet." Regardless of the technological fix used to fight noise, Carrick said Papillon is dedicated to operate quietly and responsibly in the GCNP.

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Irish Employers Take Notice Of Growing Claims For Damaged Hearing From Work Related Noise

PUBLICATION: The Irish Times
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Business This Week 1; Pg. 58
DATELINE: Dublin, Ireland
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: John Cass, professional audiologist

The Irish Times reports that many businesses in Ireland are not aware of their vulnerability to claims for hearing loss.

According to the article business people employing telephonists, bouncers, bar staff, caterers, motorcycle couriers - to name but a few - are as exposed to litigation as the Department of Defense or those in the construction, engineering, manufacturing or agricultural sectors. A senior employers' liability underwriter in Dublin and one of the insurance industry's major players has warned of a "frightening report" that's being prepared on employment and hearing loss.

The article says the authoritative study on environmentally induced hearing loss is being carried out under the auspices of the UCD Graduate School of Business. Already in its third year, it's expected to be published within the next 12 months. Not only should it confirm the extent to which young people entering the workforce have damaged hearing. It should bring to the fore the stark dilemma facing employers.

According to the article, by employing someone with a "hearing influence" - a noise -related hearing difficulty short of a hearing handicap - an employer could later be found negligent for taking someone on with a predisposition to hearing loss. Or if and when the employee's hearing further deteriorates it could be argued the employment contributed to it. This, against the backdrop of an increasing horde of young people who come to the world of work with an unprecedented level of hearing loss - most probably caused by discos and noisy walkmans - is very worrying indeed.

The report says already, says the underwriter, "more and more claims are beginning to come through". The insurance industry itself is only waking up to the problem and "some haven't woken up at all". He warns that businesses face "enormous potential costs". Where businesses have failed to take corrective action in accordance with Irish noise regulations insurers have refused to continue with their insurance. When employees discover their hearing has been damaged, he says: "they don't go to the local shop to buy a hearing aid - they go to their solicitor." After the claims start coming in, that business can become "uninsurable". Or where insurance is continued, businesses will be obliged to pay "multiples" of what they paid before. Or an insurance company could refuse to insure for noise. Employers' liability insurance is based on the date damage occurred to an employee rather than when the claim is made. The insurance company that insured the business at the time picks up the tab.

According to the article, Mr. John Cass, a professional audiologist in Dublin, says if noise levels "at the ear" are too great "pay the man when you make him deaf". He says the escalating number of successful cases taken by soldiers is frightening for business because in many cases the plaintiffs suffered a hearing influence with no social handicap but nonetheless got compensation. He says businesses won't be able to employ or have on their books people who could take an action against them. The employment of new personnel can be just too risky if they have a hearing influence. But he stresses his personal conviction that hearing is not an impairment to employment.

The article describes what employers can do: If you have to shout to talk in the workplace, it's too loud. All employers are obliged to assess, measure and control noise and, if necessary, provide ear protection and train employees in how to use it. They must inform employees about risk to their hearing and of all steps taken to reduce the risk. Employees are obliged to wear hearing protectors in areas where noise is over 90 decibels - which it would certainly be in many nightclubs, pubs or even at some weddings. Where workers are exposed to noise of 85 decibels or more they're entitled to have a professional hearing test paid for by the employer. Where workers are exposed to noise greater than 85 decibels, measurements must be taken, recorded and repeated regularly. Measurements must be available for inspection by employees, their representatives or the Health and Safety Authority. Even if compliance with these obligations provokes claims, employers are nonetheless obliged to follow them.

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British Residents Concerned Quarry Proposal Will Increase Noise

PUBLICATION: The Northern Echo
DATE: December 5, 1997
BYLINE: Mel Mason
DATELINE: Durham County, England
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Doreen Cartlidge, spokesperson, West Cornforth Residents Association

The Northern Echo reports that officials from a quarry company near West Cornforth, England have been told they will have to wait for a decision on whether they can proceed with proposals to install a mobile crusher and screening plant.

According to the report, Durham county councilors yesterday said they wanted to visit the giant Thrislington Quarry, near West Cornforth, before passing verdict. It follows objections from local residents and workers at the quarry - who fear their jobs are in jeopardy - to the scheme put forward by Redland Aggregates. A meeting of the council's planning sub-committee was told the new plant would be located at the eastern end of the limestone and sand quarry. The company says the new equipment would enable it to recover materials currently being dumped, and would reduce traffic movements within the quarry by cutting the amount of material hauled to the main processing plant. Up to 600,000 tons of material a year would be processed using the new machinery.

The report says senior planner Richard Hird said it seemed unlikely that within such a large operation there would be any increased disturbance in terms of noise and dust arising from the proposals. But the sub-committee was told that local people disagreed. Cornforth Parish Council had objected because of the environmental effects on residents of Garmondsway Road, and local residents had submitted a 55-name petition against the new plant and a 268-name petition objecting to general developments at the quarry. In addition, employees whose jobs are under threat had submitted their own 63 -name petition.

According to the article, Doreen Cartlidge, of the West Cornforth Residents Association, said they were angry at the constant erosion of conditions imposed when quarrying was allowed. She said: "The installation of the crushing plant will significantly increase noise and dust levels. It will have a huge impact on the environment of the area." Mrs. Cartlidge believed approval would open the door to further developments in this part of the quarry.

The reports says that Alan Fox, GMB union branch secretary at the quarry, said that between 15 and 20 jobs would be lost if the scheme went ahead. But works manager David Wilcox said the proposal offered environmental benefits by eliminating unnecessary lorry and dump truck movements and reducing the amount of wastage, which would in turn add three years to the life of the quarry. He said: "The whole operation will be more efficient and economically viable and that will help to secure the jobs of people working at the quarry.

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Colorado Airport Could Face Sanctions if it Rejects Charter Flights

PUBLICATION: The Rocky Mountain News
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Local; Ed. F; Pg. 51A
BYLINE: Marlys Duran
DATELINE: Arapahoe County, Colorado

The Rocky Mountain News reports that managers from the Federal Aviation Administration said the Centennial Airport in Arapahoe County, Colorado might face sanctions if its board rejects a charter company's proposal to offer regular daily flights from the airport.

According to the article, residents and politicians seeking more local control of Centennial Airport got a message from federal aviation officials Thursday, but not the one they wanted. The Federal Aviation Administration suggested that airport officials might run into turbulence if they try to restrict certain aircraft from Centennial by setting weight limits, rather than using noise as the standard. The Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority had expected to decide both issues this month. But the subtle warnings from FFA officials could make the decisions more difficult, Chairwoman Polly Page said. "You can't, you can't, you can't. It's so frustrating," Page said of her interpretation of the FAA stance. FAA officials answered questions during a nearly two-hour session with the authority board and Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo. Hefley has worked closely with airport officials and residents to keep scheduled airline service out of Centennial. "I've always felt these should be issues of self-determination," Hefley said.

The report says the meeting drew a sizable audience of residents who are bothered by aircraft noise at Centennial and want local officials to have more say over operations there. "I see Centennial as a place where outfits like Western Pacific will be coming in at the first opportunity," resident Young Cage told the FAA officials. A much larger crowd is expected at 5 p.m. Monday when the board conducts a public hearing on a proposal by Colorado Connections Executive Air Service to offer regular daily charter flights out of Centennial on 12-seat turboprop jets. The hearing will be at the Holiday Inn Denver South, 7770 S. Peoria St. Opponents contend the charter proposal is a thinly disguised airline service. They say Colorado Connections is trying to capitalize on a loophole - a federal regulation that says a public charter operation is not scheduled passenger service. Authority member Marie Mackenzie asked the FAA officials what would happen if the board refused to allow such charter flights. The FAA could withhold federal money for construction projects, said Ben Castellano, FAA manager of airport safety and compliance in Washington. The agency also could seek an injunction against the board in federal court, he said.

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Sacramento Residents Rally To Ban Leaf Blowers

PUBLICATION: Sacramento Bee
DATE: December 5, 1997
SECTION: Editorials; Pg. B8
DATELINE: Sacramento, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Citizens for a Quieter Sacramento; Casey Robb, Marilynn Mackey, Nancy Espinoza, Evan Reichle, residents

The Sacremento Bee printed the following letters to the editor concerning banning leaf blowers in Sacramento, California:

Re "Whining leaf blowers leave ears aching for quiet," Nov. 10: It is not the noise that bothers me as much as the fact that we have an excellent, quiet, calorie-burning tool for gathering leaves. It is called a rake.

Alice K. Krigas, Sacramento resident

I appreciated the informative article on leaf blowers, especially the research on noise and stress.

I'm a civil engineer. In school, we learned about ways to make cities livable by reducing water, air and noise pollution. Since the recent popularity of leaf blowers, the noise level in Sacramento has risen beyond "livable." There seems to be no place to escape. The noise is penetrating and intolerable. It is increasing my stress level and decreasing my quality of life. Something needs to be done.

Casey J. Robb, Sacramento resident

Re "Blowhards," editorial, Nov. 16: It boggles the mind how anyone could lobby in favor of leaf flowers, especially when 25 California cities have banned them completely without any adverse effects on the landscape business community.

I strongly urge Sacramento's City Council and county supervisors to consider two questions: Where do the dust, dirt and debris go when blown other than up a constituent's nose, on a freshly washed car or all over the outside of the property next door? When did leaves on the ground become so ugly that subjecting people to intense noise pollution was the only solution?

Sacramento residents need to become "good neighbors." Let's ban leaf blowers completely.

Marilynn Mackey, Sacramento resident

Although much has been said about the noise produced by leaf blowers, nothing has been said on behalf of the county's more than 60,000 asthma sufferers.

People who suffer from lung disease and asthma don't even realize the blowers are squealing. They are in a panic for the next 25 or so paces as they struggle to keep from inhaling the suffocating dust and pollen that fill the air. In defense of those who need to breathe to live, I say ban the use of leaf blowers altogether.

Nancy Espinoza, Sacramento resident

Lately, happily, I have been reading about a group, Citizens for a Quieter Sacramento, who are taking on the leaf blowers. Yes!

I had no idea there was already a curfew on leaf blowers, having been awakened and held hostage to their maddening drone at 7:30 a.m. This is not only rude, it is cruel to a pediatric nurse who works until 11:30 p.m. and is lucky to be asleep by 1 a.m. The efficient and perhaps cheaper maintenance of a few gardens pales next to the stressful and invasive nature of leaf blowers.

One man's pleasure cannot be at the expense of so many's unchosen pain. We are a resourceful enough people to find other options.

Evan Reichle, Sacramento resident

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California Recycling Center Closed For Noise Pollution

PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: December 4, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 3; Metro Desk
BYLINE: Julio V. Cano
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California area

The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles' City Council will shut down a recycling center behind a supermarket because of noise issues.

According to the article, the closure of the recycling center will mean they will be the only city in the county not to have a redemption center for containers. The decision sprung from resident complaints over noise, traffic, and litter. There was also no business license for the center.

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New Jersey Resident Speaks Out About Airport Noise

PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: December 4, 1997
SECTION: Opinion; Star, 1 Star ; Pg. L10
DATELINE: Bergen County, New Jersey

The Record printed the following letter to the editor concerning airport noise in Bergen County, New Jersey:

I'm responding to recent letters in favor of Teterboro Airport, particularly one from Paul Sveridovich of New Milford (Nov. 26). He compared the airport dilemma to the traffic conditions on Route 46 and Route 17. Road traffic is controlled through laws that regulate everyone who uses them. The people must be licensed. The cars must be insured, registered, and inspected. There are police to enforce the laws. As motorists, we all take responsibility for our part in owning and operating our vehicles.

We don't make up the laws we want to follow, but the Federal Aviation Administration does. In fact, they promote the same industry they regulate. We can't manipulate the rules to suit ourselves; but that's not the situation with Teterboro. They will argue to the contrary, maybe even convince you they are a good neighbor. But the FAA, Port Authority, and Johnson Controls are playing a "shell game" that enables them to pass the buck and avoid responsibility (as a good neighbor), to our elected officials and the surrounding communities.

Be happy you live where you do if you aren't irritated and enraged by the continuous noise. But if you live downwind of it all, watch out.

Amy Curry, Hackensack resident

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Residential Day Care Center Bothers Washington Neighbor

PUBLICATION: The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
DATE: December 4, 1997
SECTION: North Side Voice, Pg. N1
BYLINE: Jonathan Martin
DATELINE: Spokane, Washington

The Spokesman-Review reports that a Spokane, Washington resident, weary of noise and traffic from a residential day care operation, is filing a lawsuit.

The report describes how Jackie Milroy doesn't advertise her business - she doesn't need to. Her in-home child-care has a good record for safety and quality. But a lawsuit that would shut her down is drawing the attention of state child-care authorities to Milroy and her tan rambler on North Washington. The suit, filed in Superior Court last month by her neighbor, cites an obscure covenant that bans business in the most of the Country Homes neighborhood. It claims the 12-child day care is illegal.

According to the report, the neighbor, Gordon Peckham is frustrated by the noise and traffic on the sleepy suburban street. He's demanding that Milroy permanently close her business. Milroy herself is frustrated, by the surprise suit. "If I couldn't do it, why didn't some one tell me before I sunk $80,000 into this?" demanded an angry Milroy last week.

The report says although Peckham is suing only Milroy, representatives from the child-care industry fear the suit could have far-reaching effects on the fast-growing in-home business. A torrent of child-care closures could cause big problems, says child-care officials. Half of the children in Spokane County get care in home-based centers. Demand is expected to rise exponentially as thousands of welfare parents hunt for work this winter. "It is absolutely critical that family child cares succeed," said Hopkins. "There is already a critical shortage."

The article describes how covenants can be the Svengali of neighborhood businesses, trumping all other zoning laws. Previous lawsuits in Western Washington involving neighborhood covenants resulted in the closure of in-home child cares, said Kathy Hopkins, president of Washington State Family Child Care Association. "Providers are doing it anyway. They are just keeping a low profile," said Hopkins. The Legislature, at the request of the child-care industry, passed a law that banned zoning ordinances which were unfriendly to in-home business. But that applies only within city limits. The Country Homes covenant, and dozens of others from Airway Heights to Millwood, govern neighborhoods on county land. Because those neighborhoods are relatively old, their covenants are easily forgotten. Several child-care providers contacted for this story had no idea if covenants banned their businesses. Some covenants in the older neighborhoods are so archaic they're silly, like the one that makes it illegal to raise goats in parts of Millwood. Or offensive, like the ones barring non-whites from several Valley neighborhoods and in Airway Heights.

Milroy, the article continues, like other providers in her neighborhood who aren't being sued, was unaware of the covenant, passed at a time when in-home businesses were as much a nuisance as goat and pig yards. The covenant, which covers much of the area formerly called the Spokane Terrace Addition, was drafted by a construction company which built many homes and was passed May 5, 1955. It expired Dec. 31, 1995, but automatically renewed itself. It will continue unaltered until a majority of homeowners endorses a change. The suit, says attorney Jerry Kagele, is about the basic rights of a homeowner. Peckham, who refused to comment, referred questions to Kagele. Milroy's child care is a nuisance in a way that a home computer business is not, said Kagele. "If you are at home working on your computer, you are not going to be intrusive," he said. "With a day care, you have screaming kids in your back yard. That's intrusive. "When you buy your house, you don't expect your neighbor to draw commercial activity there on a daily basis."

The article says Milroy is looking for a lawyer. There's no rush; the first available trial date is in late 1998. In the meantime, she'll continue to operate. Milroy, 50, opened Jackie's Day Care two years ago, shortly after moving into the North Washington home with her husband Tom and their three kids. The family moved in to care for Tom's ailing mother, who died last year. The Milroys spent $80,000 to add 1,800 square feet of play space. The state licensing office approved the child care. Milroy is regularly at capacity, caring mostly for the children of state social workers and administrators. Peckham and Milroy feuded shortly after she opened the business. He demanded she close, citing the covenant. They've said little to each other since, said Milroy. Their proximity fuels tension.

The report describes how Milroy's outside play area faces Peckham's house, separated by a fence from his living room window. The kids make a lot of noise during the summer, Milroy admits. And cars line the curb in the morning and afternoons. Milroy tried to appease Peckham by displaying a sign telling her parents not to park in Peckham's driveway. But he complained to the county so often Milroy had to carve out two parking places in her backyard. If Peckham succeeds, Milroy would be forced to close and lose the $40,000 a year she makes on the business. Milroy still owes money on the remodel, she said.

According to the report, she's getting sympathy from officials but not much encouragement. Tim Nelson, chief of the state's child care licensing office in Spokane, said Milroy is dependable and valuable. "I feel badly for Jackie, but who am I to deny the right of a neighbor to enforce a covenant?" said Nelson. For Milroy and other child-care advocates, the suit is about an ordinance so obscure few residents know it exists. "Forty years ago was a whole different story," said Milroy, 50. "It was husbands working and wives taking care of kids. Things change."

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Boca Raton Resident Shares Concerns Over Pollution From Airport

PUBLICATION: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
DATE: December 4, 1997
SECTION: National, Pg. 24A, Opinion
DATELINE: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Sun-Sentinel printed the following letter to the editor concerning pollution from the Boca Raton, Florida Airport:

Re Karla Schuster's article, Nov. 23: The Boca Raton Airport is plagued with controversy as to who runs it, who controls those who run it, who decides if it will be expanded, what to do about the increasing noise. In the face of all this, all one pilot can think of is that some bees pooped on his plane.

We've got 25-year-old Gulfstreams so loud they shake windows at three miles and this guy's issue is bee-doots. We've got an airport authority driven by a tenant who wants to fly broken airplanes over our city so he can set up a noisy and pollution-producing maintenance facility. Every pilot (commercial and private) I have talked to says the same thing: "Don't let 'em. They're terrible places for noise and pollution."

Like it or not airplanes produce two things: noise and pollution, both in disproportionately large quantities. You can't argue "jobs" because most of the planes at Boca are "fun" planes. You can't argue "public welfare" because 99 percent of the population has never set foot on the premises and has no need to. Bees, on the other hand, help with agriculture, helping to supply food, fresh air and beauty. Does Boca need an airport? Sure it does and a good one. I know the airport is supposed to be public, but the reality may lie closer to who owns Boca Aviation and who wants to develop the maintenance facility there. The truth may lie buried under the pile of questions like "Are there employees of a tenant on the governing board?" If this were a condo, maybe. But it ain't.

J.S. Sorensen, Boca Raton resident

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Chicago Area Considers Third Airport

PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: December 4, 1997
SECTION: Metro Du Page; Pg. 10; Zone: D
BYLINE: Robin Mohr
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Bert Rosenberg, member, O'Hare Noise Committee

The Chicago Tribune reports that Chicago officials are meeting to consider a third airport in the Chicago area rather than an expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

The report describes how the Arlington Heights Advisory Committee on O'Hare Noise plans to host a meeting next month to find out more about a new political partnership that supports building a third regional airport instead of expansion at O'Hare International Airport.

The report says that at the request of the Village Board, committee members are investigating the Partnership for Metropolitan Chicago's Airport Future, which recently was formed by U.S. Reps. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill). Hyde and Jackson are asking local communities and state legislators to join the coalition, which has as goals studying the economic and transportation benefits of a third regional airport and limiting growth at O'Hare.

According to the article, committee members in Arlington Heights said they want to learn more about the partnership and the effects building a third airport would have on O'Hare and surrounding communities before forwarding any recommendation about the coalition to the Village Board. The meeting has been tentatively set for 7:30 p.m., Jan. 20, in Village Hall. Committee members said they plan to invite representatives from the two congressional leaders' offices, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the City of Chicago. "The more people we have, the more information we can get out of them," said Bert Rosenberg, a resident on the village's O'Hare noise committee who suggested hosting the meeting.

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Newark International Airport Will Reroute Planes To Relieve Residential Areas From Noise

PUBLICATION: Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ)
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: A, Pg. 12
BYLINE: Suzanne C. Russell
DATELINE: Elizabeth, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Pamela Barsam-Brown, Executive Director, New Jersey Coalition Against Aircraft Noise

The Asbury Park Press reports that planes using Newark (New Jersey) International Airport will be rerouted next month over industrial areas and the Arthur Kill in an effort to provide noise relief for Central New Jersey residents, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The report describes how opponents of the rerouting claim it will increase jet noise for residents in southern Union and northern Middlesex counties. "This is the most obscene of all the (test flight paths) the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Federal Aviation Administration have explored," said Pamela Barsam-Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Aircraft Noise. "They will be taking shortcuts over New Jersey homes and the altitude will be lower."

According to the article, the new flight paths are scheduled to begin Jan. 1. Arlene Salac, FAA spokeswoman, said the new test flight path will move the planes in a southwesterly direction - the same as previous tests aimed at reducing aircraft noise for state residents. "The goal of this is to further align aircraft with industrial areas, the Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill and mitigate noise, " Salac said yesterday. "It's a noise abatement procedure. We want to make it as clean along the industrial areas as we can." Salac said the plan is expected to be tested for at least six months to determine if the noise is affected by seasonal changes. "We don't anticipate any additional noise for any communities," Salac said.

The report says Jerome Feder, chairman of the Union County Air Traffic Advisory Board, said he plotted the test flight path on a street map and feels it will "generally be a negative for all areas west," with planes flying directly over Linden, Rahway and Clark Township. The flight path he plotted shows air traffic over homes in those towns at an altitude of about 2,500 feet. Elizabeth, Roselle, Westfield and Scotch Plains Township also may be affected. He sent copies of his flight path to the FAA and they were not challenged, he said. "All of Union County will see lower altitudes by a substantial amount," said Feder, who plans to present his findings to the Union County Board of Freeholders. "If you see planes now, you'll see them in the future but at a lower altitude." Feder also said FAA officials indicated that Carteret, at the border of Union and Middlesex counties, will benefit from the new flight path, but he's not convinced.

The report says Barsam-Brown said the new flight path is designed to provide a cost benefit for airlines such as Continental, which is responsible for flying two-thirds of the planes out of Newark International Airport. "The airlines are making record profits," she said. "Their greed is without justification."

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Chicago Area Considers Third Airport To Reduce Noise From O'Hare

PUBLICATION: Chicago Daily Herald
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 4
BYLINE: Jon Davis
DATELINE: Arlington Heights, Illinois

The Chicago Daily Herald reports that the Arlington Heights (Illinois) Advisory Committee is considering whether a third Chicago airport would reduce noise from O'Hare International Airport.

The report describes how like a new dish sitting on the holiday dinner table, a group touting a south suburban airport is attracting attention. Their appetites whetted, members of Arlington Heights' Advisory Committee on O'Hare Noise said Tuesday night they want to know more before taking a taste of the Partnership for Metropolitan Chicago's Airport Future. "When our neighbors form an alliance, we need to learn more about it and see if maybe we need to sit at the table," said Village Trustee Virginia Kucera. Bensenville, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and Park Ridge - members of the Suburban O'Hare Commission - have joined the partnership, founded by Representatives Henry Hyde, an Addison Republican, and Jesse Jackson Jr., a Chicago Democrat.

The report says for Arlington Heights, the question remains whether a third airport would reduce O'Hare-related noise. "I guess I caution the committee that we don't lose sight of our focus," to reduce noise around O'Hare, said John McNamara, a committee member. Representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Hyde's office and the city of Chicago were invited to the committee's Jan. 20 meeting to discuss the partnership. Village Trustee Dwight Walton asked the committee last month to recommend by Jan. 20 whether Arlington Heights, a member of the Chicago-sponsored O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, should also join the partnership.

According to the article, the partnership calls for a third regional airport to be open and operating by 2005, coupled with a permanent ban on new runways at O'Hare International Airport. The group also calls for a regional economic summit to discuss new airport construction, high-speed rail links between downtown Chicago and the three airports, and protections for Midway Airport. Should Arlington Heights join the Partnership for Metropolitan Chicago's Airport Future? Call us at (847) 427-4580, or e-mail us at neighborlet@dailyherald.com.

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Illinois Town Asks Why O'Hare Airport Does Not Follow Noise Abatement Procedures

PUBLICATION: Chicago Daily Herald
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: Neighbor; Good Morning, Arlington Heights!; Pg. 1
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Steven Daday, Chair, Arlington Heights Advisory Committee on O'Hare Noise

The Chicago Daily Herald reports that the town of Arlington Heights, Illinois is sending a letter this week to the city of Chicago asking why O'Hare is not following the "Fly Quiet" noise abatement procedures.

According to the article, Arlington Heights wants to know why airplanes flying in and out of O'Hare International Airport don't seem to be following the nighttime tower order during "Fly Quiet" hours. Trustees unanimously authorized the sending of a letter to the city of Chicago, asking why airplanes are not following noise abatement procedures between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., and between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. "There appears to be a discrepancy" because the tower order designed to direct nighttime flights away from Arlington Heights is in effect from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., yet the city's vaunted "Fly Quiet" program seems to be effective only from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., said Trustee Steven Daday, chairman of the village's Advisory Committee on O'Hare Noise. "If the city is requiring compliance with 'Fly Quiet,' it doesn't seem in alignment with the nighttime tower order, which seems the proper noise abatement procedure," Daday said.

The report says trustees also unanimously endorsed sending a letter requesting that any changes to the "Fly Quiet" program be published in a flight operations manual used to tell pilots about the proper procedures to use when flying in and out of O'Hare. "Although there is discussion of 'Fly Quiet' and noise abatement programs, that hasn't been disseminated to the pilots in any meaningful way," Daday said.

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Kentucky Residents Angry About Relocation Plan For Victims Of Airport Noise

PUBLICATION: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: News Pg.01b
BYLINE: Darla Carter
DATELINE: Louisville, Kentucky area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Joe Ludwick, Resident; James Mattingly, Resident; Friends of Cedar Creek Preservation Association

The Courier-Journal reports that residents of the Cedar Creek area of Louisville, Kentucky angrily sounded off last night about a proposal to build a 450-home subdivision nearby for people now living in a handful of neighborhoods plagued by excessive airplane noise.

The report describes how a standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 people packed into a meeting room of the Victory Baptist Church on Beulah Church Road to express their concerns about the Regional Airport Authority's proposal. The airport board was represented by Burt Deutsch, project manager and president of the Corradino Group, who was pelted with criticism from Cedar Creek residents for more than an hour. Residents fear the project will ruin the quality of life in the area, its quiet atmosphere and pristine character. They also worry that it will drain services, such as water, sewer and utilities, that they've paid for. The project would require extending sewers to the area years ahead of schedule. "I'm paying taxes. I'm paying Jefferson County, city of Louisville and state taxes, way too many, and now you're going to bring in a product that's going to devaluate my property and take away from my quality of life," said Cedar Creek resident James Mattingly, who then challenged Deutsch and a colleague to buy the first house. Last night's meeting was the second of two sponsored by the Friends of Cedar Creek Preservation Association. The first was to gauge the level of interest in the plan, organizer Becky Burnett said. Last night's was to find out more about the plan and express concerns to officials.

According to the report the plan calls for creating a subdivision in the Cedar Creek area that would house some of the residents affected by excessive noise from the expansion of Louisville International Airport. The more than 1,600 affected residents live in the city of Minor Lane Heights and the neighborhoods of Edgewood and South Park View, some scattered houses off Preston Highway and some other homes near Minor Lane Heights. Current Cedar Creek residents are especially worried about the traffic that would be generated by moving new residents in. They say the roads, which one resident described as horse-and-buggy style, already are clogged and sometimes dangerous.

The report says Cecil Bryan, a school bus driver, said the airport authority would be putting the cart before the horse by building the homes before improving the roads. "You're going to kill somebody on them . . . roads back here," he said. Deutsch said he would assume that if the roads are dangerous, the residents already are working with local officials to fix them. He was greeted with jeers. Deutsch also was asked repeatedly whether the airport authority plans to compensate Cedar Creek residents if the new development is built. "You're bringing noise and traffic and construction and building in my area - are you going to pay me?" Cedar Creek-area resident Joe Ludwick asked. Referring to the residents in noisy neighborhoods, he said, "You're giving me the same scenario they're moving out of."

According to the article, residents also expressed skepticism that a nice home can be built in the Cedar Creek area for the $50,000 to $75,000 the airport board has estimated. One such resident was Helen Keller, who said that building such homes would lower property values in the area and open the door to undesirable people moving in once the original owners decide to sell. Deutsch said a model home would be available for viewing in about eight months.

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Army Training Exercises Bombard New Zealand Residents With Noise

PUBLICATION: The Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand)
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: News; National; Pg. 2
BYLINE: Sharon Williams
DATELINE: Wellington, New Zealand

The Evening Post reports that an Army training exercise in the middle of the night in Upper Hutt, near Wellington, New Zealand has angered residents.

The report describes how the sound of explosions near Totara Park at 2am on Monday could be heard as far away as Brown Owl and had residents phoning police. "I was woken just after 2am by an explosion which startled me," resident Gordon Chamley said. "Four more explosions closely followed. I thought it was gunfire and phoned the police." The explosions continued for about 50 minutes, he said. "I was getting brassed off I really don't appreciate being woken at 2 am when I have work the next day and then being kept awake for 50 minutes. "They have a lot of land at Waiouru to do this. There was no need to be anywhere near a residential area. The community had not been warned, as far as I know." The Upper Hutt City Council received 10 complaints about the noise. Police also received several calls.

According to the article the Army Trade Training School chief instructor Captain Phil Gardyne said training had been carried out in the same area before without any problems. But low cloud and wind direction on Monday meant the sound carried. "Our intention was not to upset the locals under normal circumstances what was done would not have been heard." The trainees were about 1.5km away from the nearest residents and on the other side of two large valleys. The charges let off were part of a battle simulation and were small. Mr Gardyne said training areas in Wellington were limited and Waiouru was too far away. The training was done at night to make it realistic. "We practice in peace time what we anticipate occurring in war, and it is just one of those things that happens. The enemy doesn't close down at night and start again in the morning." Upper Hutt City Council regulatory services director Hans van Kregten would talk to the Army to see how noise could be reduced in future.

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California Officials Consider How To Limit Noise Of Rafting Groups On Kaweah River

PUBLICATION: The Fresno Bee
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: Telegraph, Pg. A1, South Valley Edition
BYLINE: Lewis Griswold
DATELINE: Tulare County, California

The Fresno Bee reports that Tulare County, California wants to impose limits on noise river rafters can make as they shoot the rapids on the rocky and challenging Kaweah River.

The report says that's just fine with Frank Root, owner of a river rafting business based in Three Rivers. Whooping and hollering is a natural part of rafting, he said, but slapping paddles on the water just to make noise isn't really necessary. Nor is using paddles to have water fights within a few yards of someone's riverfront home. "Paddle-slapping restrictions, that's OK," Root said. "It's a disturbing noise."

According to the report, the proposed restrictions are contained in the newly drafted Kaweah River Management Plan, drawn up in response to complaints from Three Rivers residents that river rafters trespass and make too much noise. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the plan for adoption Dec. 16. Today, the river management plan, prepared by the county's long-range planning staff, is to be shown to the Tulare County Planning Commission.

The article describes how the Kaweah River used by river rafters is a nine-mile stretch from about a half-mile below the intersection of the east fork of the Kaweah River and the middle fork to the east end of Lake Kaweah. Among rafting aficionados, the river is noted for its seven Class IV rapids and at least 18 Class III rapids in a vertical drop of about 540 feet. Rapids are rated in terms of difficulty, with Class IV considered relatively difficult.

The report says besides noise restrictions, the river management plan proposes to limit the number of trips down the Kaweah River through Three Rivers to around 500 people per day, and to limit to eight the number of commercial river rafting companies -- in other words, those that already have permits. That's about half of the theoretical maximum number of people allowed on the river per day under current regulations adopted in March. For Don Hise, a retired Three Rivers schools superintendent who lives on the river, the proposed plan is destined to fail. "The river is so peopled along the way, they just should never have allowed it," Hise said. "To have 30 to 40 rafts on the river at one time, this river is just not geared to that."

The report describes how unlike most free-flowing rivers, the Kaweah River passes through a community, the unincorporated city of Three Rivers, population 3,800. That means inflatable rafts with six to 10 passengers each float by picture windows and back yards. Milton Melkonian owns a rustic resort where guests come to get away from it all. "It's detrimental to our business. It's a real problem to our guests," Melkonian said. "Every 20 minutes, there's 36 people yelling and screaming." Melkonian questions the county's authority to allow commercial river rafting on the Kaweah River.

According to the report, under state law, the county has the legal authority to establish controls on navigable rivers. But Melkonian disputes whether the Kaweah River is truly navigable, saying that boats can't go upstream on the extremely rocky river, and when it's low, rafters must physically portage, or lift, their boats over low-water spots. This violates the rights of riverside property owners who have title to the middle of the river, he said, and the management plan ignores this. "They've totally disregarded the private-property owners," Melkonian said. But the Tulare County Counsel's Office dismisses Melkonian's navigability argument. The public has the legal right to raft the river and can portage the rafts within the high-water marks as long as they don't trespass on private property, they say.

The report says the Three Rivers business community is tourist oriented and welcomes the river rafters, said Thom Marshall, a Three Rivers travel agent and member of the Three Rivers-Lemoncove Business Association. "As a whole, the business association has been in favor of the rafting question," Marshall said, "provided that it's regulated or controlled to a certain degree." Curt Nutter, owner of the Sequoia Village Inn in Three Rivers, dismisses complaints of Melkonian and others as being from "a couple of very vociferous people." The river rafters have proven themselves to be good operators, he said.

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Maine Residents Voice Concerns About Noise From Proposed Gas Station Expansion

PUBLICATION: Portland Press Herald
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: York County & State, Pg. 1B
BYLINE: David Connerty-Marin
DATELINE: Saco, Maine
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Erika Donneson, Resident; Theresa Mansur, Resident

The Portland Press Herald reports that the Planning Board has approved Cumberland Farms' proposal to build a new store in Saco, Maine to replace its building on Route 1 and double the number of gas pumps from two to four. Area residents are concerned about the impacts that the expansion would have on the area including noise pollution at night.

The article says the company's plans will face further - and possibly more critical - scrutiny by the city council, which has often asked for more concessions than the planning board. The council could consider the plan later this month. The new building would be constructed directly behind the existing one, which would then be demolished. The Planning Board voted 4-0 Tuesday night to recommend the city council sign an agreement with the convenience store allowing it to build the new gas pumps. City zoning doesn't allow it, but through "contract zoning" the city would permit the construction in exchange for adding security cameras and lighting, changing the entrances and exits, and reducing hours from 24 hours a day to 5 a.m. to midnight, among other things.

According to the report, unlike typical zoning matters, under contract zoning the city can ask an applicant to do much more than is normally required because otherwise the applicant wouldn't be able to build at all. Both the city and the applicant come to an agreement and sign it. "In judging (contracts), you have to see what more is it going to add to the City of Saco," said William Johnson, the new mayor. "Is it good for the City of Saco and the neighbors?"

The report says at least two neighbors contend the new store is not good for them. Erika Donneson, who lives on Pleasant Street, less than 100 yards from the store, complained about noise all night long from the business - people revving engines, fighting, playing loud car stereos, and from delivery trucks. She said 5 a.m. is too early for the noise to begin and midnight is too late for it to end. Theresa Mansur, another neighbor, also complained about the noise. But board members said the building is in a business zone where some noise should be expected. And the new hours would be an improvement over the current 24-hour operation.

The report says City Councilor Leslie Smith questioned the hours of operation approved by the planning board. "I think midnight is a little late for that kind of a residential area," Smith said. Even though it's zoned for business, "you're one house away from where somebody's trying to sleep." Police were called to the Elm Street store more than 100 times during the past year. Johnson said the council often asks for additional requirements of businesses under contract zoning. Smith said Tuesday night the council routinely changes the requirements for contracts that have been recommended by the planning board. He and Johnson also both questioned the planning board's decision to count the spaces by the gas pumps as parking spaces. The new building requires 14 parking spaces according to the city's zoning rules, but only 11 regular spaces will be painted.

The article says Cumberland Farms representatives say customers who use the pumps must come inside to pay, and so are parking to use the retail store. At one point, Pat Labbe, chairman of the Planning Board, challenged Donneson, asking her if Cumberland Farms existed when she bought her house in 1982. "Yes, but it wasn't as noisy," she said. It was 1988, when the store changed to a 24-hour operation, that it became bad, she said. He asked her if she was blaming Cumberland Farms for the noise on her street and for teenagers that have vandalized along the street. "Do you think it would be better to leave it the way it is?" he asked. Donneson said the city shouldn't encourage a business like Cumberland Farms, and should work to reign it in.

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New Orleans Residents Protest Airport Changes

PUBLICATION: The Times-Picayune
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Vicki Hyman and Matt Scallan
DATELINE: New Orleans, Louisiana

The Times-Picayune reports that Kenner, Louisiana officials spent two hours Tuesday telling a Federal Aviation Administration representative that they don't want a taxiway at New Orleans International Airport turned into a runway for private aircraft. Residents and Council members from communities surrounding the New Orleans International Airport fear the noise increased traffic would cause.

According to the report, FAA representatives were on hand at a Nov. 17 meeting at which about 200 residents were allowed to ask questions about the taxiway conversion project, but they missed a meeting organized by the City Council four days later at which more than 400 residents opposed the project, some passionately. "We wanted to let him know what the people's concerns were," said Mayor Louis Congemi, who met with FAA project manager Tim Tandy Tuesday morning. Chief Administrative Officer Charlotte Burnell and Nick Baroni, a former councilman and now Kenner's volunteer consultant on airport matters, also attended the closed-door session. The airport wants to turn its east-west taxiway into a runway for general aviation, or private aircraft smaller than commercial jetliners. In turn, it would convert its current general aviation runway, which bisects the two larger runways used by commercial jets, into a taxiway.

The report says airport officials said the conversion would not increase air traffic over homes and actually would lessen noise over residential areas east of the airport. Kenner council members say they don't believe that. The final decision rests with the FAA when it determines whether to finance the $29.5 million project, and Tandy assured Congemi that public input would be a large factor in that decision, the mayor said. "It was a very good meeting," Congemi said. "I think that we're going to get a better response from the FAA."

According to the report, Tandy also told Congemi that the FAA plans to steer clear of the squabble between the Kenner City Council and the New Orleans Aviation Board over who has the right to control airport growth. The Kenner council is expected to vote this month on legislation giving itself veto power over airport expansion that it believes would be detrimental to Kenner residents. The airport's master planner contends such a move would be unlawful. "I think that the only way at this point that it is going to be resolved is in a court of law," Congemi said.

Meanwhile, the article continues, St. Charles Parish officials are complaining that they are being shut out of discussions about airport expansion, particularly long-term plans to build an 8,000-foot north-south runway in the LaBranche Wetlands of St. Charles. But New Orleans City Councilwoman Peggy Wilson, who is helping to set up a joint meeting of the Kenner and New Orleans councils to discuss airport issues, said adding the St. Charles council would be unwieldy. Nonetheless, Wilson said, she and other New Orleans officials will try to set up a separate meeting with St. Charles officials. "We haven't had time to set something up yet, but we want to meet with them on their turf," Wilson said. St. Charles Parish Council members complained angrily Monday night that they weren't invited to join the upcoming meeting between the Kenner and New Orleans city councils on the airport's master expansion plan, which includes the $350 million north-south runway in St. Charles Parish. The unprecedented joint meeting is set Monday at 7 p.m. at the Pontchartrain Center.

The report says Kenner officials have opposed the runway, fearing increased jet noise over neighborhoods in northwest Kenner. And St. Charles officials say the runway would uproot the Fairfield and Oaklawn subdivisions in St. Rose and cause the parish to lose some prominent Airline Highway businesses, resulting in an annual property tax loss of $1.6 million. St. Charles officials threatened to oppose the project unless New Orleans makes a greater effort to include them in discussions. "If there's no communication, there won't be no north-south runway," Councilman Curtis Johnson of St. Rose said. A multi-jurisdiction committee created by Kenner to study airport expansion has yet to meet. The committee includes three representatives each from the Kenner City Council and the Jefferson and St. Charles parish councils. Kenner Councilman Marc Johnson said he plans to call a meeting once he and other city officials have had the chance to ask questions of the Aviation Board, FAA and New Orleans City Council members.

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Vancouver Area Residents Plan Legal Action To Fight Airport Noise

PUBLICATION: The Vancouver Sun
DATE: December 3, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. B1 / Front
BYLINE: Larry Pynn
DATELINE: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Barry and Lynda Walsh, Residents

The Vancouver Sun reports that Vancouver, Canada area residents are preparing to take legal action to fight airport, noise and the third runway at the Vancouver International Airport which has prompted a rise in noise complaints.

The report asks, how do you know when you are living too close to the flight path of Vancouver International Airport's third runway? When your friends can look out the window of an incoming passenger jet and identify your guests by the cars in your driveway.

The report describes how that is the strange-but-true reality for Barry and Lynda Walsh, whose house at 9520 Beckwith Road is lodged deep in the troubled heart of Richmond's west Bridgeport residential area. The couple claimed Tuesday that since the opening last November of the airport's third runway on the north side of Sea Island, their ordinary lives have become a screaming hell. Simple backyard activities such as barbecues and gardening are unbearable. Over-the-fence chats between neighbors inevitably stop when an aircraft approaches. Even double-glazed windows cannot stop the racket from drowning out the TV.

According to the article, while the rumble of a train going through a neighborhood might be romantic, Bridgeport residents say, no one gets used to the high-pitched screech of an aircraft as it comes in to land. "It makes me crazy," said Lynda Walsh. "It's loud and very bothersome. You can't stop it, but you can't live this way, either. I'm in a bad mood, anxious, even before my first cup of coffee." To determine the exact noise level, the Walshes hired a Richmond consulting firm, Schneider Canada, to conduct an independent test outside their home over a 90-minute period during the morning of Feb. 12. Based on 27 readings, the study found the ambient noise level -- 65 decibels -- increased to as high as 91 decibels as aircraft passed low overhead on their approach to the third runway.

The report describes how under the decibel system, sound does not increase steadily along a simple numeric scale. For example, just a three-decibel increase in sound effectively doubles the energy exposure. According to provincial Workers' Compensation Board regulations, employees are safe from an exposure of 85 decibels over eight hours, without hearing protection. The period of safety drops to four hours at 88 decibels and to two hours at 91 decibels.

The article says Bridgeport's estimated 200-300 residents have discovered not all aircraft are created equal since the runway opened. "Propellers aren't as bad," said Barry Walsh, a self-employed electrician. "The DC-9 is one of the worst. Unbelievable. And the 747? It looks like it's coming right into your house it's so huge." Morning and dinner time are busiest on the third runway, he added, with planes landing as frequently as every 90 seconds. Richmond and Vancouver residents have lost round one in their battle with the Vancouver International Airport Authority and the federal government for financial compensation over the third runway.

According to the article, The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled this month that the complaints against the airport were too diverse to allow one class action, leaving open the potential for smaller, similar groups to pursue their own lawsuits. Residents are meeting with legal counsel Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Tait elementary to consider their options.

The report says Barry Walsh claimed he and Lynda moved into their 270-square-metre (3,000-square-foot) home on a .2-hectare (half-acre) lot in 1991 after being told by Richmond's planning department that the third runway approach would be over the Fraser River, farther to the north. "It was a dead-end street, really quiet," he said, insisting background traffic noise from Oak Street Bridge only about one block away didn't pose a problem. "But nobody would buy here residentially any more. Who would want to live under a flight path?" Municipal planner Ian Chiang, whose jurisdiction includes west Bridgeport between No. 4 Road and the Fraser River, said he cannot recall any such conversation. He said that according to maps provided by Vancouver airport, it is clear that the third-runway approach is over west Bridgeport and not over the Fraser River. "I wouldn't have said it goes over the river because I know better." Chiang did hold out some hope for residents seeking a financial way out of their bind. A draft planning report to Richmond council in one year will recommend that west Bridgeport gradually be rezoned from residential to commercial-industrial. Exactly when, or if, the rezoning happens will depend on council and market forces, he said. "We don't see a residential future in there. But it will take time for those houses to phase out."

The report describes how the airport's third runway is open for landings between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Exceptions are made in emergencies or during maintenance or snow removal on the other runways. The number of airport- noise complaints in Richmond in the June-August period increased to 1,626 in 1997 from 99 in 1996. In Vancouver, the number of complaints in the same period rose to 354 from 68. In the Bridgeport area alone, residents lodged 1,403 complaints, 72 per cent of them over jet noise. Just over one-third of all landings at Vancouver airport in that period occurred over Bridgeport. Although incoming aircraft violate Richmond's noise bylaw, aircraft are exempt under federal regulations. "I support quiet neighborhoods," said Kelvin Higo, Richmond's chief public health inspector. "But there's not a lot we can do in this case. Sympathy doesn't carry too far." Complaints will grow next year as the booming airport begins using the third runway for takeoffs in peak hours. Despite repeated phone calls from The Sun, no airport officials responsible for noise monitoring or environmental control were willing to comment. The airport authority and federal government have argued that residents who bought homes under the flight path of the third runway should have known what they were doing and can't now sue for damages.

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New York Resident Sues Delta And Boeing Over Claim That Airplane Engine Noise Damaged His Hearing

PUBLICATION: The Buffalo News
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: Local, Pg. 4B
BYLINE: Dan Herbeck
DATELINE: Batavia, New York
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Anthony L. Peca Sr; American Tinnitus Association, Portland, Oregon; Kathy Ward, audiologist, St. Mary's School for the Deaf

The Buffalo News reports that a Batavia, New York man claims in a $200,000 lawsuit that he began suffering from a constant roaring noise in his ears after he sat next to the engine on a commercial airline flight almost three years ago.

The article says Anthony L. Peca Sr., 71, said he has suffered from a painful hearing disorder called tinnitus since damaging his ears during a December 1994 flight from Atlanta to Buffalo. Since then, Peca says he has heard a loud roar all day, every day. "Ever since Dec. 23, 1994, Mr. Peca has suffered severe and continuous roaring tinnitus," Peca's attorney, Charles W. Getman, said in court papers. "It continues today. It has significantly reduced his ability to hear and inhibits his ability to sleep and concentrate." The lawsuit blames Peca's condition on Delta Airlines, operator of the commercial flight, and Boeing Co., the aircraft manufacturer whose McDonnell-Douglas subsidiary built the MD-80 plane in which Peca was flying when the incident occurred. Peca said he never suffered from tinnitus until the day of the flight. He said he was disturbed by loud engine noise during the three-hour flight from Atlanta, during which he sat in the seat closest to the right engine of the plane. "During the flight, Mr. Peca and at least one other passenger complained to the attendants about the noise from their proximity to the engine," Getman said in court papers.

According to the report, Delta officials could not be reached Monday to comment. A spokesman at Boeing in Wichita, Kan., said he could not comment on the lawsuit but was unaware of any other such passenger complaints. According to the American Tinnitus Association in Portland, Ore., 12 million Americans suffer from severe cases, and up to 38 million others have suffered to a lesser degree. The disorder is more common among rock musicians, firearms instructors and people who work around loud machinery, but the association said there are many causes. Kathy Ward, an audiologist at St. Mary's School for the Deaf, said it is very difficult to pinpoint the cause of tinnitus in any individual case. She said she did not know enough about Peca's case to speculate whether noise from an airplane engine caused his condition. "In some cases, you see tinnitus in people who have been near an explosion or have had their ears bombarded with high-decibel sounds in some other way," Ms. Ward said. "But there are other causes. I've heard people say that they yawned one day, or they had a head cold, and they have had a ringing in their ears ever since. It can be caused by certain types of tumors. Some people just wake up with tinnitus one day, not knowing where it came from."

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Virginia Community Questions Runway Extension

PUBLICATION: The Richmond Times Dispatch
DATE: December 2, 1997
SECTION: Area/State, Pg. B-1
BYLINE: Charles Boothe
DATELINE: Hanover, Virginia
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Kevin Damian; O.T. Green

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that the Hanover (Virginia) Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation last night to extend the runway at the county airport by 750 feet, despite concerns of area residents that the extension would bring on greater air traffic and noise.

The article says in voting for the Hanover Municipal Airport extension, commission member Harris K. Swann said he was convinced the extra length is for safety reasons and will not mean larger aircraft or increased use. Those were key concerns voiced by several speakers during the public hearing on the issue before the vote. "The airport's capacity cannot be increased without bringing it back before the public," Swann said.

The article describes how more than 150 people attended the hearing at Lee-Davis High School, with eight speaking in favor of the extension and 14 speaking in opposition. Approval of the project, which is an amendment to a conditional use permit that first garnered attention in April, must come from the Board of Supervisors. If that board agrees with the Planning Commission's recommendation, the airports runway and taxiway will be extended from 4,650 feet to 5,400 feet. Richard Johnson, deputy county administrator, told the commission the extension is needed to allow a greater margin of safety for business jet aircraft during wet runway conditions. Other advantages, he said, include small piston aircraft being able to have higher take-offs, which would reduce the noise level, and a shift in air traffic patterns that will mean fewer residential and business overflights. Johnson also cited a 1995 environmental assessment by the Federal Aviation Administration that concluded the project would have no significant impact in several categories, including noise, vehicle traffic, compatible land use, relocation of residences and roads, and air and water quality. The assessment also said the extension would aid in the development of nearby industrial and business parks. "The runway improvements," the report said, "would serve to attract airport-related businesses which use corporate jets and which would possibly locate to these industrial parks. The airport, therefore, would enhance surrounding land uses and stimulate the industrial and business activity in the area." The $2.2 million project fits in with the airport's master plan and the county's comprehensive plan, Johnson said, and 98 percent of the money would come from federal and state sources.

The report goes on to say that while several of the runway extension's supporters pointed out the positive impact the airport has on business and industry, other speakers said they don't want anything done to the airport that would increase the volume of use because they are concerned about safety and noise. "The county has allowed something like 2,000 homes to be built in that area [near the airport]," said Glenn Bolick, who lives in King's Charter, a subdivision across the road from the airport. "There are three schools on the edge of the overflight area. If this is being done for safety, it makes me wonder how safe I am today." Kevin Damian, who lives in Foxhead subdivision, said the redundant flying patterns are annoying. "The extension will only increase the number of airplanes circling around our homes in Foxhead," he said. "It already appears to be an air show over our homes." One Atlee Station Road resident, O.T. Green, who is a pilot, said the extension is not necessary at all, and will invite more transient aircraft.

According to the article, the airport, located on Sliding Hill Road near the Hanover Industrial Air Park, has been operating at this site since 1971 and started accommodating small jets, weighing 40,000 pounds or less, in 1974. These jets, county officials say, make up only 5 percent of airport activity and that percentage is expected to stay the same. Any growth at the airport, Johnson said, will be natural and have nothing to do with the extension.

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Environmentalists Band Together To Oppose Commercial Airport Near Florida's Everglades

PUBLICATION: States News Service
DATE: December 2, 1997
BYLINE: Dave Williams
DATELINE: Everglades National Park, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Everglades Coalition; Mark Ferrulo, Director, Florida Public Interest Research Group; Sarah Chasis, Director, Natural Resources Defense Council's Water and Coastal Program; Joette Lorion, President, Friends of the Everglades

The States News Service reports that a group of environmentalists is calling for more study before the federal government signs off on a plan to convert defunct Homestead Air Force Base near the Everglades National Park in Florida into a commercial airport.

According to the article, in a letter to President Clinton dated Monday, 18 members of the Everglades Coalition asked for a more thorough examination of the potential environmental effects of operating an airport 10 miles from Everglades National Park and just two miles from Biscayne National Park. The coalition also suggested that the project's supporters look for other ways to revitalize the Homestead economy and other potential solutions to the space crunch at Miami International Airport.

The article says the multimillion-dollar project would include a terminal building and first-class hotel, as well as manufacturing, warehousing and office space. It could have an economic impact of as much as $12 billion during the next 20 years in an area hit hard by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the subsequent closing of the base.

The report says environmentalists are worried that the noise that would be generated by the proposed airport -- which could accommodate up to 231,000 flights per year by 2015 -- would harm the two parks' wildlife, particularly birds, and ruin what is supposed to be a tranquil experience for visitors. "We see it as a real contradiction that President Clinton says we need to reduce noise at the Grand Canyon, while allowing an international airport to built next to the Everglades," said Mark Ferrulo, director of the Florida Public Interest Research Group, who signed the letter. Members of the coalition also are concerned that polluted runoff from the project could threaten Biscayne Bay, while such major development could deplete aquifers that supply the Everglades. The Air Force prepared an environmental-impact study on the conversion plan during 1993 and 1994. But its report was "cursory" at best, said Sarah Chasis, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Water and Coastal Program. "Details of the proposed project hadn't been flushed out then," she said. "The planned scope has changed." "They didn't even look at the parks," added Joette Lorion, president of Friends of the Everglades, who also signed the letter to the president.

According to the article, the plan's supporters have expressed frustration that the Air Force still hasn't turned over the land to Homestead Air Base Developers Inc., the project developers. Following a recent meeting with the head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Metro-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas said he expected a decision by the end of the year. "We want to move forward," said Blanca Mesa, a spokeswoman for Penelas. "Any other studies are not necessary." The Clinton administration has made the Everglades a major priority of its environmental agenda. Vice President Gore visited Everglades National Park just six months ago, reaffirming a $1 billion federal commitment to restore a fragile ecosystem plagued by decades of agricultural and residential encroachment. He is due to return on Saturday to help mark the park's 50th anniversary.

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Innovative San Diego Wastewater Treatment Facility Reduces Construction Noise By Careful Scheduling

PUBLICATION: American City & County
DATE: December 1997
SECTION: Awards Of Merit; Issn: 0149-337X
DATELINE: San Diego, California

American City and County reports that the San Diego, California Wastewater Department purchased and set aside a pristine habitat covering 30 acres. Impacts like traffic and noise were addressed by limiting construction hours, employee work hours and delivery times.

The article describes how during the treatment of wastewater, bio-solids residue is produced. This organic product is beneficially recycled rather than being placed in landfills. By composting bio-solids and combining them with soil amendments, San Diego is successfully returning valuable organic resources back into the ground, saving landfill space and providing mineral-rich fertilizer to the agricultural community.

According to the article, proximity to both commercial and residential areas has made odor and noise control a priority, so the plant is equipped with devices that control both. The design ensures there will be no detectable odors at the plant's fence line. Fully enclosed treatment basins were also used to control odors and resolve the nearby military base's concern that its flight operations would be affected by birds and waterfowl attracted to open water structures. Heat is used to break down organic material in wastewater during the treatment process. This produces large quantities of methane gas which have traditionally been burned off into the atmosphere. However, the city has devised a way to use this gas as a fuel to produce electricity and thermal energy at the facilities, ultimately saving residents millions of dollars in energy costs and preserving gas and oil that would have been used to create electricity.

The report says that to connect all elements of San Diego's wastewater collection, treatment and disposal systems in the future, a citywide computer network called the Wastewater Operations Management Network (COMNET), is being installed throughout the projects at the Metropolitan Wastewater Department. While manual controls are provided as a backup throughout the North City plant, when COMNET is fully operational, the city may consider operating the plant through a remote system.

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Federal Aviation Administration Considers Noise Plan For North Carolina Airport

PUBLICATION: Business and Commercial Aviation
DATE: December, 1997
SECTION: Intelligence; Vol. 81, No. 6; Pg. 26
DATELINE: Charlotte, North Carolina

Business & Commercial Aviation reports that the Federal Aviation Administration will examine a noise compatability plan for the Charlotte/ Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

The article says on March 30, 1998, the FAA is scheduled to approve or disapprove a proposed noise compatibility plan for North Carolina's Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The plan was submitted under FAR Part 150 and the public can comment. For more information, contact the FAA's Thomas M. Roberts in College Park, Ga.; phone: (404) 305-7153.

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Boaters Should Consider Noise And Its Effects On Others

PUBLICATION: Trailer Boats
DATE: December, 1997
SECTION: No. 11, Vol. 26; Pg. 6; Issn: 0300-6557
BYLINE: Jim Barron

Trailer Boats reports that boaters should consider the nuisance of noise on others.

The article describes how boat owners love the freedom to get away from it all, the freedom to rejuvenate their mental batteries in peace and quiet. The problem is, too many boaters are shattering that peace and quiet. The writer describes how he loves the sound of a free-breathing V-8 with through-transom exhaust and the staccato exhaust note of a racing two-stroke. But, the place to listen to these sounds is on the race course during the middle of the day; not in a peaceful campground at the crack of dawn or as you watch a sunset change from beautiful to more beautiful. A booming exhaust ricocheting through the canyons of Lake Powell or through the woods on Lake of the Ozarks is not going to be met by any enthusiasm from the campers or homeowners in the area.

The article affirms that noise is noticeable. If we need to see an example of what effect noise has on the environment and our freedoms, we need look no further than the motorcycle industry. Motorcycle sales boomed as resoundingly as the exhaust note until too many people said "Enough is Enough." Off-road riders lost a lot of territory over the years, not because they were doing so much damage to the terrain - horses do as much damage but nobody complains about them - but because they created so much noise that people trying to pursue other endeavors found them objectionable. Personal Water Crafts(PCW) with tuned megaphone exhaust systems are in the same league as the off-road motorcycles of years gone by. They simply are not popular with anyone who is not a PWC owner, and we are already seeing special legislation passed against them. Some lakes restrict their hours of operation, and other lakes restrict their use to specified areas.

The article suggests that the bass angler who shatters the early morning calm in a boat with the tower housing drilled for exhaust relief and the inboard owner with unmuffled through- or over-transom exhaust might ponder for a moment whether the minimal performance gains they are achieving are worth the aggravation they may be causing. The writer also suggests that the engine and boat manufacturers who make noisy high-performance products available to inconsiderate boat owners might not be harming their own businesses in the long run.

The article states that for some, noise is a part of the boating experience. It attracts attention and it makes the boat seem faster - precisely what boat owners want. The writer is promoting the responsible use of noise. Some waterways have become a haven for performance boats; boaters who frequent these waterways know what to expect, whether they like it or not. Loud exhausts on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River has been a fact of life for more than 30 years and shouldn't surprise anyone. However, the writer encourages the installation and responsible use of Captains Call, Quick and Quiet and Silent Choice - all devices that permit the exhaust to be diverted either through the transom or through the hub and allow the boater to choose to make less noise. Waterways are becoming more crowded, speeds are going up and noise is increasing. The more crowded our waterways become, the more important it is that we operate our craft in a responsible manner. On many rivers and lakes, the constant din of noisy engines is not going to be tolerated. If we don't take stock of our own situation and respond in a positive manner, someone (who has never set foot on a boat) is going to do it for us.

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Highway Move Considered for Arizona Town; Some Say it Would Reduce Traffic Noise

PUBLICATION: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 9
BYLINE: Mark Shaffer
DATELINE: Wickenburg, Arizona
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Jack Murphy, resident

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Arizona Department of Transportation is considering moving part of U.S. 89 to go around Wickenburg, Arizona instead of through it, due to problems with congestion. However, the article says, some residents approve the plan, saying it will improve safety, noise and air pollution in the town, while others say the town's merchants will fail if no traffic is routed through their town.

According to the article, Wickenburg has become the site of a bottleneck on the highway, creating increased congestion. In addition, there has been an increase in 18-wheelers in recent years. The highway sees a high volume of traffic bound for Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, the article notes. However, the highway can't be widened and still receive federal money for the project, because federally recognized historic buildings would have to be torn down. About 30 buildings in the town are either on the list of national historic sites, or are being considered for the list.

The article goes on to say that according to Richard Strange, leader of the realignment project for the transportation department, there is a lot of support for a bypass in the country around the town. Wickenburg is home to a large retirement population, the article reports, most of whom would prefer to see a quiet, peaceful downtown with little traffic. However, the article says, most merchants believe moving the highway would destroy their business. Royce Kardinal, a downtown hotel owner, said, "The ones who want to put the highway way out there don't know what a boarded-up community looks like. But they will find out. And the worst-case scenario of all is that we may have a huge bypass and still get the trucks through here because they always like to take the shortest route."

But some residents maintain the downtown would recover from a new highway, the article says. Jack Murphy, a retired Wickenburg resident, said, "The community should look at this as an opportunity to do more development and undertake a western town kind of project like Rawhide. The problem is that we have a horrible problem here with all these trucks and all the safety, noise and pollution problems they cause." The article notes that only more trucks will be taking the route in the future, because U.S. 89, which turns into U.S. 93 northwest of Wickenburg, is a designated route for Mexican truck traffic heading north as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement among the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Meanwhile, the article says, a final decision is at least two years away, according to state officials. Before a decision is made, the public will get to provide input on as many as 12 proposed routes. At a meeting last month, the article reports, transportation department officials mentioned three possible realignment routes: two east of the Hassayampa River, which would bypass downtown by only a short distance, and one that would be a loop of up to 15 miles south and west of the town. The latter proposal, which would cross the Hassayampa River, is expected to draw opposition because of its proximity to the Hassayampa River Preserve, a riparian area owned by the Nature Conservancy that is home to a wide array of birds, including some that are endangered.

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Harley Enthusiasts Show Little Enthusiasm for Debut of First Electric Motorcycles in California

PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 1; Metro Desk
BYLINE: Nicholas Riccardi
DATELINE: Glendale, California

The Los Angeles Times reports that an electric motorcycle has been created by Electric Motorbike Inc. in Northern California, but patrons of the Harley-Davidson Museum in Glendale made fun of the "Lectra," saying it was too quiet.

The article notes that the motorcycles must be recharged every thirty miles, and have a top speed of 45 miles per hour. They are crossing the country on streets -- they are not legal for highways -- on the way to a convention in Florida. Next year, motorcycle dealers including Harley Davidson will begin offering them. Future designs will be legal for highways.

The article notes that most Harley fans said something to the tune of "What the hell would you want with an electric bike? You need something that makes noise and vibrates." The quiet engine would be welcome in quieter communities, but the article suggested many motorcycle users want to "terrorize the community." Possible new markets may be for children, retired persons, or environmentalists.

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Milwaukee Residents Protest Plan to Extend Airport Runway

PUBLICATION: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: News Pg. 1
BYLINE: Larry Sandler
DATELINE: Milwaukee, Wisconsin area

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that residents near the Mitchell International Airport in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area are opposing a plan to extend the airport's smallest runway by 700 feet, which would allow larger planes to land. Officials have approved the plan and the County Board has appropriated money for the project, the article says, although a few more steps are required for final approval. The plan will be discussed at a public information session today, the article reports.

The article reports that County Executive F. Thomas Ament and Airport Director C. Barry Bateman have recommended lengthening Runway 7L-25R, a 4,100-foot east-west runway at the airport's northern edge. The County Board has set aside $1.9 million for the project in next year's budget, the article notes.

At its current length, the runway can be used only by small, propeller-driven planes, but if extended, the runway could handle some propeller-driven commuter airliners and corporate jets, Bateman said. If additional planes used the extended runway, Bateman said, the airport's two biggest runways would be freed up for jet airliners, which would experience fewer delays as air traffic grows. Currently, the article reports, takeoffs and landings are delayed an average of 2 minutes, and during peak times, are delayed 3 minutes. If the runway isn't extended, the average delay would grow to 4 1/2 minutes by 2009, and almost 9 minutes in peak hours, according to airport projections. The airport calculates that such delays would add up to 18,502 hours of delay a year, at a cost of $26 million. According to Bateman, the airport would need a third major runway by 2006 if it doesn't extend the shorter runway, based on federal standards for acceptable delays. But if the runway is extended, the airport wouldn't need a new major runway until sometime between 2014 and 2016, Bateman added. The value of the delay time saved with the runway extension indicates the project is "very justifiable," according to Bateman.

But, the article reports, the St. Francis Common Council, Supervisor LeAnn Launstein, and City Administrator Ralph Voltner are against the project because it will bring more aircraft noise to the neighborhood just north of Whitnall Square shopping center. According to Bateman, a federally required environmental review found the noise wouldn't be significant, but Voltner said that didn't change his mind. "We have enough planes going over St. Francis right now," he said. "We don't need any more."

However, Supervisor Lori Lutzka, whose district includes both the airport and St. Francis, said the airport's economic importance outweighs a relatively small increase in noise, and that the county has followed the required process for an environmental review and a public hearing.

The article concludes that according to Lutzka and Bateman, if opposition forces are overwhelming, the Federal Aviation Administration could reject the project, or the County Board could refuse to apply for federal funding and cut the project out of the county's spring bond issue.

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Hong Kong Airport Set to Close; Merchants Predict Losses, But Property Agents Expect Boom in Housing Market in the Area

PUBLICATION: South China Morning Post
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: Agenda; Pg. 1
BYLINE: Wendy Kan
DATELINE: Kowloon City, Hong Kong

The South China Morning Post reports that the Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon City, Hong Kong is set to close in 1998 when the new Chek Lap Kok Airport opens. The article says that some merchants near Kai Tak expect their businesses to hang on after the airport is gone, while others expect their businesses to fold. Meanwhile, property agents are gearing up for new residential housing in the area, which will be more popular when residents don't have to deal with aircraft noise.

The article reports that many merchants in Kowloon City have capitalized on the proximity of the airport. One merchant, Angus Hardern, purchased the top two floors of a six-story building 16 years ago, and used the rooftop space as an "observatory" for plane enthusiasts. His store became famous for its close view of planes descending on Hong Kong, and it created extra business at his store. But, the article says, Hardern has left for Mongkok, figuring his business would not stay viable after the closing of Kai Tak. He said, "We didn't plan to move so suddenly but we realized our customers wouldn't be visiting us because of the airport anymore and we decided to cut our losses. We've noticed a significant drop in customers now that we've moved, about 40 percent." Hardern added, "I miss the planes even though I went quite deaf. We still go back to Kowloon to eat and we can't believe the noise we used to put up with. But maybe it just seems louder because now we have our hearing back."

Another business, the 400-room Regal Airport Hotel, is likely to be one of the hardest hit businesses when the airport closes, the article says. Currently, the airport has an occupancy of more than 100%, and rooms can be rented up to three times a day for airport staff or business people who need a quick nap before their next flight. Albert Leung Chi-sing, the hotel's deputy general manager, says the hotel will lose its endless supply of guests, but he doesn't believe business will dry up completely. The hotel will have to re-market itself to the leisure market, Leung said. In addition, the hotel will get a new name, re-decorated rooms, and enlarged public areas. "You look at the airport, you look at the surroundings in Kowloon City, and there is a lot of development waiting," he said. "You're talking about the development of Kai Tak both commercially and residentially. The Government has proposed to move 310,000 people into this area in about five years, with parks, museums, and hotels. So it is a good opportunity for this hotel to cater to the redevelopment." Leung added, "The second factor is if you look at this hotel geographically. We are the only hotel in the southeast of Kowloon.... No one has planned hotels for Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong. But with the change of land use by the Government in some of these areas, in another three or four years, there may be another Wan Chai, populated with commercial and office buildings, which will support this hotel in terms of business activities and businessmen traveling and requiring accommodation."

But, the article goes on to say, smaller business owners in the area are less optimistic about the airport closure than Leung. Corolla Au Yuet-wah, one of two partners of the local Western-style restaurant Cafe Rouge, said about half the restaurant's lunchtime crowd is airport and airline workers, so there is bound to be a lull when the airport closes. Still, she said, "Eventually, business will pick up again. This district is especially popular for Thai food so I don't expect people to stop coming." Other merchants, however, are preparing for the possibility that their businesses might not make it. Edmund Chu Chee-yan, who owns Darts Tavern across the street from the Regal Airport Hotel, said airport staff make up more than 80% of its lunchtime crowd. He said, "We will wait a few months, see how business is. But with so much of our business coming from the airport, I may have to shut down for good."

The article goes on to explain that while some merchants may expect to leave the area, other people will be moving into districts under the current flight path. The government's final study on the redevelopment of the airport site and surrounding areas will be unveiled by year's end, the article says. However, it is known that plans will include residential units for 310,000 people by 2003, with additional property zoned for commercial, government, and public space. In addition, height restrictions in the area are expected to be relaxed, the article notes.

Property agents are excited about the possibilities for business in the area, the article reports. Ritty Tsang Suk-tin, a property agent in Yau Yat Chuen, a district that accommodates recently built nine-story buildings and 20-year-old low-rise homes, says the district will attract more home buyers when the area has no planes flying overhead. Another attraction, Tsang said, is a mall set to open next year beside the Kowloon Tong MTR station. "A few years ago, people would not consider this area because of the noise," she said. "But they are now only less likely to shop [for property] in this area if the banks won't lend them money."

Meanwhile, many residents in the area say they are no longer conscious of the jet noise flying overhead, the article says. Mr. Chau, a 63-year-old tailor and 30-year resident of Kowloon City, said, "Living here is only problematic when you first move in and you're not used to the noise, having to stop talking when you're on the phone or not hearing everything on television. My windows rattle when a big plane passes by. But most residents have been living here for awhile, and no one even notices it any more."

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Editorial Argues That Airport Expansion Plan Should Move Forward

PUBLICATION: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: Editorial, Pg. B2
DATELINE: St. Louis, Missouri area

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch printed an editorial that supports the W-1W expansion plan of the Lambert Airfield in the St. Louis, Missouri area. The editorial says the impact of a new, modern airport would be enormous on the development of the region in the next century. In addition, the editorial argues, the recent opening of MidAmerica Airport in St. Clair County has put the region in an excellent position to become a key player not only in air-passenger traffic, but also in air-cargo traffic.

According to the editorial, the federal government is expected to announce whether the Lambert expansion can go forward by early next year. The W-1W plan, if approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, would be the largest public-works project ever in the St. Louis region, at a cost of $1.8 billion for a new runway and about $800 million more for roads and a new terminal after passenger traffic grows. The editorial points out that besides adding a new runway to the airport, the plan would give Lambert 3,400 feet of space between runways, which is essential for handling simultaneous takeoffs and landings in bad weather. If the airport isn't able to offer such simultaneous landings, the editorial says, it will become a dinosaur.

The editorial goes on to say that the W-1W plan isn't perfect, but "the path of progress is seldom smooth." If the plan goes forward, about 2,000 homes and businesses in Bridgeton will need to be demolished, and residents and officials in St. Charles have raised legitimate concerns about noise and other issues, the editorial writers say. Airport officials should do everything they can to address these concerns, short of abandoning the W-1W plan, the editorial argues. The editorial suggests that generous buyouts and relocation assistance may help home and business owners, and setting up buffer zones or alternating flight paths may help with noise abatement.

The editorial goes on to note that opponents of the expansion hope the FAA's review of the plan's environmental impact study will raise enough questions to kill the project. But, the editorial objects, opponents haven't offered a reasonable alternative to the plan. The two options opponents have embraced, options put forward individually by the Airline Pilots Association and the Air Traffic Controllers Association, are "flawed," the editorial says, because they either would cut the airport's capacity or they would require more real estate and cost more money than W-1W.

The editorial also points out that some opponents of Lambert expansion think the new MidAmerica Airport could become the region's major commercial airport. However, both John Baricevic, St. Clair County Board Chair, and Leonard Griggs, Lambert Field Director, have discounted that idea, predicting that Lambert will remain the region's major passenger airport, while MidAmerica will become a leader in air cargo, package express, and vacation charters. MidAmerica also may handle some new passenger flights to Chicago, they believe. According to Baricevic, MidAmerica already is moving to be ready to handle air-cargo business that Lambert can't handle. The editorial approves of this regional cooperation strategy, which it says will create new jobs in Missouri rather than shift jobs from Missouri to Illinois. Both airports should seek to find important and complementary niches, the editorial advises.

The editorial concludes that the economic stakes in this project are huge, and the region will greatly suffer if the opportunity for expansion is passed by.

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Plans To Cut Air Pollution Over The Grand Canyon Behind Schedule

PUBLICATION: The Arizona Republic
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: Front; Pg. A21
BYLINE: Steve Yozwiak
DATELINE: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Arizona Republic reports that new rules for air-tour flights over the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona will result in virtually no reduction in noise, according to a secret National Park Service memo obtained by The Arizona Republic.

According to the article, more than a year after President Clinton called for less aircraft noise over national parks, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Park Service remain at odds over how to restore some semblance of natural quiet to Arizona's premier natural attraction. The Park Service review of the latest FAA proposal said "very large numbers of visitors at Grand Canyon will hear and notice aircraft." The memo says the Park Service "does not concur" with the FAA's most recent plans to reduce noise, starting in 1998.

The report says the FAA won't comment on the new rules, which are expected to take effect sometime next year. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees the Park Service, also declined to comment about the memo. Under Clinton's 1996 Earth Day initiative, the number of aircraft flying over Grand Canyon - not the number of flights - was to have been capped. In addition, flight corridors over the park were to be reduced so that more than 80 percent of the 1.2 million acre park is "flight free." That was supposed to have happened May 1. Instead, under pressure from the air-tour industry, those rules were delayed until sometime in 1998. Even then, flight free is not the same as noise free, because aircraft noise can travel up to 16 miles in the Canyon.

The article claims given the more than doubling of tourist flights at the Grand Canyon over the past decade, many environmentalists doubt that the situation will improve anytime soon, and likely will get worse. The Park Service has estimated that, at the current rate of increase, less than 1 percent of the 277-mile-long Canyon will experience natural quiet by 2010. The air-tour industry says there is no problem, and actively has resisted fees, curfews, caps and restricted flight corridors, saying that they are unjust, unnecessary and even could jeopardize safety. The aircraft restrictions are intended to reduce noise for backpackers and rafters, who invest days and even weeks of time to travel deep into the Canyon's backcountry in search of natural peace and solitude. Unlike backpackers and rafters, whose numbers have been capped for decades, air-tour operators are allowed to pursue an unlimited number of flights over the Canyon. In addition, the air-tour industry has urged the FAA to allow flights over the Canyon's largest and most beautiful waterfalls on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The tribe has called for a ban on all flights over their land.

According to the article, The Park Service memo shows that, under the FAA's new plans, 34.2 percent of the park will experience natural quiet at least 75 percent of the time by 2008. That is 1.7 percent more than if there were no additional regulation, the Park Service memo says, a change that represents virtually no improvement. By comparison, a 1987 law sponsored by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., calls for "substantial restoration" of natural quiet in the Grand Canyon. The Park Service has said that means at least 50 percent of the park should be free of aircraft sound at least 75 percent of the time. The Park Service memo says there needs to be changes before the new FAA plan will be acceptable to Congress and the general public. "This is extremely important for the public as well as decision-makers to know, and needs to be very clearly spelled out," the memo says.

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Tennessee Community Worries That Bypass Road Will Bring More Traffic And Noise

PUBLICATION: The Tennessean
DATE: November 30, 1997
SECTION: Wilson, Pg. 1
BYLINE: Warren Duzak
DATELINE: Mount Juliet, Tennessee
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Cliff Wilkin, Resident

The Tennessean reports that residents of Mount Juliet. Tennessee are concerned that a road bypass would increase noise and traffic in the area.

According the article, a proposed Mount Juliet Road bypass ran into a cool reception from residents who attended an informational session at City Hall this past week. Despite promises of eliminating traffic on overburdened North Mount Juliet Road, the proposed new road west of town has yet to capture the imagination of some city residents who attended the meeting. "All they need to do is improve Mount Juliet Road," said Nancy Dalton. "I don't think this is the solution."

The report says Dalton was one of about 35 to 40 people who took time to look at the markings on aerial photos that indicate whose backyard or field the proposed road would cross. It is designed to begin at Nonaville Road, head roughly southeast and connect with Mount Juliet Road just before the older road's intersection with Interstate 40. Some residents didn't understand why the proposed route would be connected to the road it was designed to bypass. "I'm just concerned that the route is going into Mount Juliet Road," said Leila Rust. "I think we need a five-lane Mount Juliet Road," former City Commissioner F.M. Weston said, echoing some other residents. "If we build this we still need to upgrade Mount Juliet Road," Weston said. Weston and others, such as former Mayor Jenny Bess Hibbett, said the proximity of five schools, City Hall, the post office and numerous businesses guarantee continued traffic problems even with the bypass. "All I think a bypass will do is open more land for houses," Hibbett said. Other residents were more concerned with the impact the proposed road would have on their own homes.

The report describes how resident Cliff Wilkin said his backyard would end up bordering a busy four-lane road that would generate noise from traffic stopping at one of the proposed traffic lights. "They are going to stop at the light and they'll step on the gas and they will be howling by the time they reach my house," Wilkin said. "I just think they should put noise abatement in the plan ." Resident Jeanette Tedron said she was concerned because the proposed bypass seemed to be just another way to develop the area without any thought about the community and its nature. Asked if the political will and perspective existed here to maintain Mount Juliet's sense of community, Tedron said she thought it was possible. The proposed route is part of an advance planning document, which is supposed to reach the state Department of Transportation by next month. Even if state funds are obtained, the bypass is likely to open no sooner than 2000, officials say.

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