PUBLICATION: Chicago Daily Herald
DATE: May 9, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. 1
BYLINE: Shamus Toomey
DATELINE: Wheeling, Illinois
The Chicago Daily Herald reports residents who live in an apartment complex near the Palwaukee Municipal Airport welcome the news that airport officials plan to study a possible shift of the airfield's main runway to direct planes over an industrial area instead of the apartments. However, airport officials say it may be too late to make such changes.
The article reports that Foxboro apartment dwellers are hopeful. "That would certainly be an excellent thing," said Tom Orchell, resident manager of the sprawling complex that a jet barely missed when it crashed in the fall of 1996, killing all four aboard. As another resident of the apartments described how close the planes come to the complex, a jet screamed overhead, forcing her to pause about 10 seconds for the noise to pass. "What more do I need to say?" she asked.
The article reports members of a branch of the Palwaukee Municipal Airport Commission earlier this week tentatively approved an $8,000 engineering study looking at a possible shift of Runway 16/34. The study was requested by Prospect Heights Mayor Edward Rotchford and Wheeling Village President Greg Klatecki. Both said it would be more appropriate to send planes over an industrial area to the north and a forest preserve to the south. But airport officials voiced more caution than optimism for the shift because it would likely require acquisition and demolition of structures on or near the airport, in addition to millions of dollars in state and federal grants. The cost of building a new runway alone could approach $10 million, not including taxiways, officials said. Even the engineer assigned to study the shift acknowledged such a move might be too late now that development plans, including construction of a new control tower, have been centered around the runway for so long.
PUBLICATION: Aberdeen Evening Express
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: Pg.17
BYLINE: Mike Fairgrieve
DATELINE: Aberdeen, Scotland
The Aberdeen Evening Express reports noise is absent from Aberdeen's latest industrial park that is located in the middle of a suburb.
According to the article, Cults Business Park, bordering the River Dee, is Aberdeen's newest industrial estate. The former builder's yard will be a quiet environment. James Barrack, managing director of Knight's, said: "We don't want anything noisy. We're trying for upmarket tenants that safeguard the amenity of the area."
The article reports interest so far, said Barrack, has been mainly for use as offices. Inquiries have come from an Aberdeen architect and a computer orientated consultancy. The Park's management regulations state: "We intend to provide a high quality environment and therefore uses such as motor vehicle repair or general industrial purposes will not be acceptable." The only "industry" considered so far has been a firm selling alarms, which would use part of the unit as a repair workshop and the rest to house its sales team. "People want somewhere different, away from the standard industrial estates and they like a place where their customers can get parked easily."
PUBLICATION: Charleston Daily Mail
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. P5c
BYLINE: Bret Jessee
DATELINE: Chartleston, South Carolina
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Fred Snuffer, City Council member
The Charleston Daily Mail reports Charleston's City Council's public safety committee will look into adopting a noise ordinance that is more objective and therefore, more enforceable than their current ordinance.
According to the article, Council Member Fred Snuffer said, "There's not a week that goes by that I don't get some calls about noise in the neighborhoods." At Thursday's public safety committee meeting, Assistant Police Chief Jerry Riffe tried to explain why the existing noise ordinance often is not strictly enforced. Police believe municipal court will not levy fines unless the noise problems occur well after midnight, Riffe said. So police believe it is often pointless to cite people under the ordinance. Riffe suggested the city adopt an ordinance that is precisely written and cites a specific decibel reading as a level of violation. "Cops don't like subjectivity very much," Riffe said. "They like black and white." Committee members decided to invite Municipal Judge Jay Goldman and others to help rewrite a more exact ordinance at next month's meeting. Committee chairman Snuffer asked Riffe to bring a boom box and a decibel meter so committee members would know exactly how much noise they were outlawing.
The article reports that in addition to noise from parties and car stereos, committee members discussed constituents' complaints about noise caused by airplanes, helicopters, electric generators, and industrial sources.
PUBLICATION: The Columbian
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: B; Pg. 11
BYLINE: Ernestus S. Schnabler
DATELINE: Vancouver, Washington
The Columbian reports since total elimination of noise from the Portland International Airport is impossible, PDX and the airport's Noise Abatement Advisory Committee are making attempts to mitigate the noise. The article goes on to list some of the mitigation measures and their challenges.
According to the article, within the next 20 years, the number of aircraft departures and arrivals at Portland International Airport will almost double to around half a million per year almost 1,500 per day. This translates into one aircraft taking off or landing almost every minute. Clark County citizens expect to have noise impacts mitigated to the largest extent possible. Portland International Airport has made attempts to achieve these expectations while, at the same time, conducting business and increasing revenues.
The article states PDX is mandated by the Oregon Legislature to facilitate air transport to and from Portland and the region. This mandate is supported through agreements by Northwest legislators, including representatives of the state of Washington. Under this mandate, administrators at PDX are required to run their operations like a business. Their mission: maximizing revenues, minimizing expenses, and attracting more passengers and cargo plus their transporting aircraft. To change that mission would require a grass-roots initiative to have the legislating, elected representatives of citizens change the mandate issued to PDX.
The article reports other less drastic measures to mitigate noise are attempted through the airport's Noise Abatement Advisory Committee, a group of representatives of neighborhoods and other organizations. One of the group's proposals to mitigate current and future noise impacts on the community suggested new departure procedures. These departure procedures are the ones currently being implemented on a short-term test basis. The new departure procedures enable pilots to turn toward their destination earlier after takeoff than before. To accomplish that, pilots need to climb to an altitude of 4,000 feet as quickly as possible. Previously, pilots needed to reach a mandated distance as well as altitude before turning. The committee and PDX hope that this procedure will less the noise impact on the community as a whole. But, due to the earlier turn, many aircraft will now travel over areas of the community where aircraft did not usually fly previously. The fear is that noise will be shifted to different areas. If the test does not demonstrate benefits, the old procedures will remain in effect, and the committee and PDX will look at what else could be done. Feedback is needed from citizens who experience changes in noise levels due to departing aircraft. Positive as well as negative experiences should be reported to the Port of Portland's Noise Abatement Office at 1-800-938- NOISE (1-800-938-6647).
The article goes on to say another proposal made by the Noise Abatement Committee suggested the erection of a hush house to muffle full-throttle engine runup noise from jet airliners. A hush house is a hangar-type, insulated building into which aircraft will taxi after repair or maintenance to test their engines at full-throttle operation. Currently, engine run-ups are performed in the open and cause significant hardship on surrounding neighborhoods. The Port of Portland agreed to build a hush house. However, the size of the facility PDX agreed to build will not accommodate aircraft larger than the Boeing 757. Increasingly used aircraft larger than that will not fit into the hush house and instead will perform their full-throttle run-ups at the northwest corner of the airfield (closest to Vancouver) with their tail turned north (toward Vancouver). Residents of Vancouver from downtown to Interstate 205 and from the Columbia River to Mill Plain Boulevard will suffer substantial negative impact on livability and property values.
According to the article, the airport must realize that building the larger hush house is part of its social responsibility to the community. If the community wants to effect significant changes in the way Portland International Airport conducts business or wants to change its mandate or mission, citizens will have to convince their elected officials and legislatures. The Noise Abatement Advisory Committee's powers are limited to making suggestions.
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT)
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B4
BYLINE: Johnny Mason Jr.
DATELINE: Hartford, Connecticut
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Linda Skrypek, resident; Joelle Figueroa, resident
The Hartford Courant reports police officers' response time to noise complaints were the topics of a meeting of the Southend Neighbors Action Project Wednesday night in Hartford, Connecticut.
According to the article, problems with noisy neighbors and getting police to respond were the most frequent complaints from the 80 people who attended the meeting at Naylor School. The audience grilled Deputy Police Chief Timothy Hogan, Sgt. William Schwarz and Officer Gates Landry on the length of time it should take for an officer to respond to a call. Some angry residents told Landry and Schwarz they have waited hours for police to respond to complaints about loud music or rowdy neighbors. Linda Skrypek, a Standish Street resident, said that after she called police several times, a dispatcher told her if she couldn't stand the noise she should move out of Hartford and hung up on her.
The article reports Landry said the police respond to residents' complaints according to the seriousness of each call. Calls reporting robberies and domestic abuse have a higher priority than calls about noisy neighbors, he said. But Hogan said help is on the way to deal with this issue, though not in time for summer. Hartford's Community Court is scheduled to start in November and will deal with misdemeanor and quality-of-life offenses. People charged with nonviolent misdemeanors, such as public drinking and making excessive noise, will be sentenced to perform community service. "The nice thing about it is the penalty is dealt with immediately," Hogan said. Resident Joelle Figueroa asked Hogan if landlords could be held responsible for disruptive tenants. Legislators are reviewing a bill that would hold landlords accountable for riotous tenants liable for civil action, Hogan said.
The article reports that in the meantime, one resident offered tips for getting police to respond quickly to complaints about noisy neighbors. Fearing retribution from neighbors, she declined to give her name but called herself "a master at breaking noise." "The key is to be polite," said the woman, who one night called police a dozen times because of a disorderly neighbor. She recommended that people keep a log on what time they called, who they talked to, and where the noise was coming from. She said if police don't arrive after 20 minutes, neighbors should call every 20 minutes until they do. "Sometimes we call and call and call," she said.
PUBLICATION: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: Local, Pg. B-3, West Neighborhoods
DATELINE: Moon, Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Moon, Pennsylvania, has recently discovered that FAA regulations pre-empt local and state regulations as far as noise from Pittsburgh International Airport is concerned.
According to the article, with its proximity to Pittsburgh International Airport, Moon officials and residents are always concerned about noise. So at the request of the supervisors, Solicitor Charles Means reviewed the local regulations on air travel at airports. The supervisors had hoped to find some way to control it or at least cut down on the noise. Last night, though, Means had no good news for the supervisors. Because FAA regulations pre-empt local and state regulations as far as noise, flight path and altitude is concerned, Moon's only option, Means said, is to ask airport officials to take whatever measures feasible to minimize the noise and hope for the best.
PUBLICATION: Aberdeen Evening Express
DATE: May 7, 1998
SECTION: Pg.13
BYLINE: Graham Lawther
DATELINE: Aberdeen, Scotland
The Aberdeen Evening Express reports local residents are irate over food takeaway plans, which they claim will make their lives miserable by adding to existing noise and traffic problems.
According to the article, a petition has been presented to Aberdeen planners by Clifton and Hilton residents who are determined to stop the plan. Residents claim noise, smells, litter, and extra traffic would make existing problems worse. And they fear gangs of youths would be drawn to the planned Clifton Road takeaway, adding to the groups which already gather.
The article reports city councilors were due to visit the site today to make up their minds about the plan earmarked for the existing Spar store, which has already been approved by planners. Angry residents - who have written individual protest letters in addition to signing the petition- say an area with three chippers, two bakers, and two pizza parlors has no need for more takeaways. Their petition states: "There is already a litter problem and although bins are provided, they are rarely used. With a busy supermarket open late, we are plagued with noise already."
The article states council officials raised no objections when the proposal came in front of a planning committee earlier this month. Planning director Peter Cockhead pointed out that the takeaway would take up just a fraction of the Spar's sales area and predicted few problems. Highways chiefs insisted they could control parking problems by introducing double yellow lines. Environmental protection bosses say filters and bins will take care of smells and litter problems. Planners told councilors that official policies allow new takeaways in shopping centers if residents are unlikely to be disturbed. But today's firsthand look at the site comes in the wake of a call for caution from Clifton councilor Charles Massie. "There is a bit of a problem with youths hanging about and the police have been called on a few occasions," he said. Litter is already strewn across the area and a new takeaway could make matters worse, he added.
PUBLICATION: The Atlanta Journal
DATE: May 7, 1998
SECTION: Cobb Extra; Pg. 03Jg
BYLINE: Doug Payne
DATELINE: Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta Journal reports many Atlanta, Georgia, residents are annoyed by the noise from the Navy's Blue Dolphins practicing carrier landings at Naval Air Station Atlanta.
According to the article, the pilots of the Navy's Blue Dolphins squadron practice carrier landings --- an essential skill for naval aviators who must fly off, and land back on, the decks of aircraft carriers at sea. "It's just nerve-wracking," said Stuart Beavers, who runs a used-car parts and auto recycling facility on Cobb Parkway. "They choose to fly during the busiest time of day. The noise is so disruptive that I can't even hear my customers on the phone." Beavers' shop is at the east end of the Dobbins runway, where The Blue Dolphins fly F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers. They're quieter than some aircraft in the Navy's sky fleet, but loud is loud.
The article reports that during carrier practice in 1997, officials at Naval Air Station Atlanta received more than 200 complaints from area residents and business people, said Petty Officer Brian Wood of NAS Atlanta's Public Affairs Office. This year the Navy gave the public advance notice that carrier landing practice was coming, and appealed for understanding and forbearance, noting that the training is necessary and can't be done elsewhere. The advanced warning quieted neither the jets nor the complaints. Phones are ringing in the Public Affairs Office. Wood said, "They want us to go out and stop the aircraft. They ask why can't they fly over rich areas? Why can't they go someplace else? Why can't they alter their flight path? Why can't they go out to the desert?" The short answer is money. It costs too much to fly the planes someplace else for practice, Wood said. Moreover, Dobbins is one of the few land facilities equipped with the electronic light setup that guides pilots onto a mock carrier deck. Some of the Blue Dolphins pilots have already moved their training out to the carrier USS John F. Kennedy, off the Florida coast. To get ready for that, they had to fly some early-morning sorties early this week. "We had some very irate customers this morning," said Chief Barbara Newman, head of the Public Affairs Office.
According to the article, base officials pointed out some benefits of the Blue Dolphins practicing at the Atlanta base. They noted that in 1997, NAS Atlanta contributed more than $92 million to the local economy. And not all the calls to the Public Affairs Office are complaints. "We've had some positive phone calls," Wood said. "Some people said they just wanted to find out where they could go to watch. You've got people out there who are really interested."
PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: May 7, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. L01
BYLINE: John Cichowski
DATELINE: Bergen County, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Robert Belz, resident; Robert Samson, resident; Philip Spillane, resident; John Lucente, resident; Gary Strano, resident
The Record reports New Jersey residents are fighting train noise by making tax appeals. With one resident's victory setting a precedent, others are following suit, seeking compensation for the noise they endure. Meanwhile Congress is considering a ban on whistle-blowing at crossings while seeking alternative safety measures.
According to the article, Robert Belz of Denville convinced the Morris County Board of Taxation to reduce his annual tax bill by $300. "All I did was give the tax board a schedule showing the number of trains has increased daily from 87 to 120 since Midtown Direct started in 1996,"Belz said of his 1997 appeal. "The board looked at comparable sales in the neighborhood and concluded that values were declining." Belz persuaded the board that increased traffic and noise caused by Midtown Direct service on the Morris and Essex line had reduced his home's taxable value 5 percent. "I'd gladly give the money back if NJ Transit's engineers would stop blowing their whistles at grade crossings," Belz said. Later this year, Congress could give Belz his wish when it considers a proposal to ban whistle-blowing at crossings.
The article reports that in light of Belz's victory, others who reside near the Midtown Direct commuter line and near upgraded rail yards are asking the tax board for relief. "When I complained about the noise at council meetings, I'd get ridiculed," said Robert Samson, who lives about 100 feet from the Mount Tabor rail station in Parsimony-Troy Hills. "Now we'll see who's ridiculous." Philip Spillane, who lives near Belz, said, "Maybe some tax appeals will get NJ Transit to listen to us." Spillane pointed to nails popping out of his plasterboard. "This used to be a quiet, electrified line, but now NJ Transit is using big diesel engines that send huge vibrations through the house," he said. "Several times a week, engineers blow their whistles much too loud. You wake up in the middle of the night catching your breath!" Ollie Hiller, a retired nurse, said she is moving after living two decades on Memory Lane, only 50 feet from the tracks. "I'm too old to appeal," Hiller said. "I'm recovering from an illness. My doctor says I must have quiet, but NJ Transit refuses to give me quiet." Eleven miles to the northeast, Riverdale residents near a new rail yard owned by the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway also are appealing. "We're not moving," declared John Lucente. "We're fighting!"
The article notes the latest wave of homeowner resistance comes in response to a new era of rail expansion. Commuter lines are expanding to the suburbs, the freight business is booming, and new federal regulations are limiting state and local control. "In the past, a lot of tax appeals have focused on noisy auto traffic," said Edward Norwich, Bergen County's assistant tax administrator. "In the future, I'm sure we'll be hearing similar arguments about noisy trains."
According to the article, in response to residents' complaints, NJ Transit commissioned a noise study. It found that Midtown Direct engineers sometimes exceeded the 110-decibel maximum recommended by the Northeastern Operating Rules Advisory Committee, the agency that sets rail standards. But in far more cases, engineers touched lightly on their horns, well below NORAC's 96-decibel minimum. Ironically, the study resulted in more noise. NJ Transit spokesman Steve Coleman said it prompted management to direct engineers who blew too softly to blow louder, "in compliance with the rules." About the noise study, resident Kenneth Miller of Lackawanna Avenue, said, "Since then, the noise got worse." Miller's neighbor, Robert Stehr agreed, "The louder we complain, the louder NJ Transit blows the horns. Both men are seeking tax reductions at a hearing today.
The article states Denville, Parsippany, and Madison are among the last towns on the line with crossings where engineers are required to blow whistles. "With three exceptions, our towns are the only ones on the line with grade crossings in areas that aren't heavily industrial or agricultural," explained Belz, who is leading the Morris fight. "Complaints usually come from residential areas, where the noise knocks people out of bed." As a safety precaution, the advisory committee recommends four beeps of 96 decibels at crossings. The three exceptions are Montclair, Glen Ridge, and Bloomfield, where ordinances have banned nighttime whistle-blowing. However, those bans may not be upheld for long. Since 1995, federal law transferred rail regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, which has put limits on state and local authority over rail issues. "We observe local whistle bans only out of courtesy because they began when others owned our lines," Coleman said. "Our executive director is reviewing the issue right now." Stehr does not understand the logic of the grandfathered ban. "If a ban is safe in Montclair, why isn't it safe here?" he asked.
According to the article, there is little doubt that failure to blow whistles at crossings can lead to tragedy. Coleman cited a Florida study showing that accidents at crossings rose 84 percent after a statewide whistle-blowing ban was initiated. "Motorists are killed when they try to get around the crossing gates," he said. "We sympathize with people who are annoyed by the whistles, but our first mission is safety. Gates and whistles are two of the only strategies we have to keep motorists from taking foolish chances." But recently, Congress has called for additional strategies. In 1994, it directed the Federal Rail Administration to design workable rules for banning horns at grade crossings while still maintaining safety. Two of the most popular devices being considered would make it virtually impossible for cars to cross lanes to evade gates. One requires concrete dividers to separate traffic lanes for 200 feet leading to gates. A more expensive option calls for four gates instead of two, to block both lanes. FRA spokesman Jim Gower said his agency expects to submit formal proposals to Congress this year. Officials agree, however, that unless the government expands transportation aid to the states, the local cost of installing dividers or gates on each of the nation's 266,000 crossings would be enormous. National estimates approach $16 billion; New Jersey's costs could top $130 million.
The article goes on to note that removal of grade crossings and an FRA-inspired public education program have led to a sharp decrease in crossing accidents since 1990, state and federal officials said. New Jersey accidents dropped from 85 to 27 through 1997; fatalities averaged less than two per year. In Westfield, where residents are battling Conrail over increased rail traffic and whistle noise, the town has earmarked funds to build dividers. Neither Conrail nor NJ Transit, however, has agreed to stop blowing whistles at crossings until Congress approves alternative safety measures. "We've been fighting for years in Westfield," said community activist Gary Strano. "But the real battle is in Washington."
PUBLICATION: The Vancouver Sun
DATE: May 7, 1998
SECTION: News; Heart Of The City; Pg. B1 / Front
DATELINE: Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
The Vancouver Sun reports Vancouver police will check motorcycles for noise levels four times during the month of May.
According to the article, Vancouver police will operate checkpoints around the West End four days this month to inspect motorcycles for noise levels. The noise checkpoints will occur each day between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The first two evenings, the officers at the checkpoints will inspect motorcycles for proper exhaust- noise mufflers and issue warnings to drivers without proper mufflers.
PUBLICATION: The Vancouver Sun
DATE: May 7, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. B3
BYLINE: Robert Sarti
DATELINE: New Westminster, British Columbia, CANADA
The Vancouver Sun reports the New Westminster, British Columbia, city council has given a first reading to a new bylaw that would create "anti-nuisance zones" where civility would be required. Making noise that disturbs residents is one of the uncivil behaviors addressed in the new bylaw.
According to the article, Mayor Helen Sparkes said if the bylaw is passed, it would give police the power to move along people who are deemed public nuisances. The bylaw would prohibit everything from defecating and urinating in public to painting graffiti and leaving litter on the street. Also included would be blocking the sidewalk and making noises that disturb the "quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment comfort or convenience" of residents. Violators can be fined and also barred for up to one year from the anti-nuisance zone where the offense took place. Offenders who ignore too many tickets could find themselves in jail.
The article states Sparkes acknowledged the proposed bylaw is strict, but she denied that it is a threat to civil liberties. "We're not trying to organize a police state, let's get that clear," she said. Sparkes said the proposed anti-nuisance bylaw -- the first of its kind in BC -- would be an enforcement tool for the police so they could make it uncomfortable for certain kinds of people to be on the street. "You can't just hang around, you have to have a purpose or business there," she said. Sparkes said council will now schedule a public discussion on the proposed bylaw, and probably make a final decision on May 25. "We'll send it out to the community and the organizations and see whether we've gone too far or not far enough," she said.
According to the article, civil liberties and poor people's groups vow to challenge New Westminster in the courts. John Westwood, executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, said criminal law and existing municipal bylaws already give police the power to control most of the activities cited. Westwood said the proposed bylaw will provide a temptation for police to overstep their authority. Referring to the section on noise, Westwood said, "it goes way too far. With a law this broadly written, the police will tend to use it selectively to target people who they want to get." And the nuisance zones are an "unacceptable restriction on people's liberties," he said. Westwood said New Westminster is trying to cope with problems way beyond its scope and powers. He suggested the city instead lobby Ottawa to change the "irrational" drug laws that have spawned the illegal street activity.
PUBLICATION: Charleston Daily Mail
DATE: May 6, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. P6a
DATELINE: Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Daily Mail reports city council committees are meeting this week to discuss recycling issues and strengthening the Charleston's noise laws.
According to the article, one subject of Thursday's meeting of the public safety committee is strengthening the city's laws against loud noise. Councilman Fred Snuffer Charleston has a noise ordinance that prohibits disturbing the peace, but council members are interested in Morgantown's more enforceable ordinance. In Morgantown, people wanting to have a loud, outside party must get a free permit in order to legally exceed a specified decibel level. The Morgantown police have decibel meters they can use to enforce the ban on loudness. Charleston council members are also concerned about regulating the noise from boom boxes and loud car stereos.
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT)
DATE: May 6, 1998
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B3
BYLINE: Paul Marks
DATELINE: Windsor Locks, Connecticut
The Hartford Courant reports state transportation officials are seeking federal aid to expand their planned study of noise from Bradley International Airport.
According to the article, requests for the in-depth noise study were made last month by leaders of the towns around the airport, said Robert Juliano, head of the Bureau of Aviation and Ports at the state Department of Transportation. If approved, the study would be three-fourths funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency, which owns and operates Bradley, received almost 600 noise complaints last year. Residents of southern Suffield, in particular, have requested that some flights be rerouted to spare them the roar of jetliners.
The article reports in March, the agency committed to a six- to nine-month "mini-study" of aircraft noise, including an evaluation of aircraft flight patterns. Juliano said that study still will be done. However, Juliano said he was urged to undertake a more in-depth study by letters sent last month by town leaders in East Granby, Suffield, Simsbury, and Windsor, all of whose towns are near the airport. He said the last comprehensive study of noise from Bradley was completed in 1982. James Peters, an FAA spokesman, said federal aviation regulations authorize that such studies be 75 percent paid for with money from the Airport Improvement Program. Money from that program could be used for solutions to noise problems, including purchase of affected houses at fair market value.
The article states that by FAA regulations, according to Peters , noise levels exceeding 65 decibels are unacceptable. The comprehensive study would produce a map showing where noise from departing flights is at or near that level. T.F. Green Airport near Providence, RI, recently began a similar noise study, which is expected to cost $500,000. Juliano said that figure could be expected for a study at Bradley.
PUBLICATION: Journal of Commerce
DATE: May 6, 1998
SECTION: Special Report; Pg. 7D
BYLINE: Tom Baldwin
DATELINE: Southport, Connecticut
The Journal of Commerce reports incessant noise from Interstate 95 permeates the picture-perfect postcard of moneyed Southport, Connecticut. Officials are exploring ways to mitigate truck traffic as a way to dampen the noise.
According to the article, noise is ubiquitous ins Southport. The noise, night and day, , that bursts directly through the village comes from Interstate Highway 95, America's high-speed, north-south main route. Southport is one of many towns up and down the East Coast that share the noise and congestion brought by the interstate. In an effort to address the noise, Connecticut is polling other states to learn the depth of concern along Interstate 95. Currently, Connecticut and Virginia officials are looking at ways to lessen the truck traffic on I-95.
The article states these people may support Malcom P. McLean, who is trying to take trucks off the highways of the East Coast and restore commerce to the waterways. Called the father of containerized ocean shipping, McLean plans to launch a new barge service later this year. Even if his service does not immediately affect trucks on Connecticut's stretch of I-95, he will pioneer the notion.
According to the article, barging, although slower than the rails or the highways, appeals to many as a compromise on a number of issues in the transportation community. "There is a lot of cargo out there. He could do very well with this. One of the heaviest volumes of cargo moves between the northern and southern part of the United States," says Nicola Arena, president of Mediterranean Shipping Co. (USA). The new service would run between Miami and Jacksonville in Florida, to a northern port still to be selected, most likely the Port of New York and New Jersey. If successful, it may be expanded further north, which would help I-95 neighbors like those in Southport.
PUBLICATION: The Seattle Times
DATE: May 6, 1998
SECTION: Southwest; Pg. B3
BYLINE: Marc Stiles
DATELINE: Des Moines, Washington
The Seattle Times reports the Highline School District in Des Moines, Washington, has hired a firm to measure noise from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and to advise the district on ways to reduce jet noise in classrooms. Teachers have involved students in studying the problem and coming up with solutions.
According to the article, finding ways to reduce airplane noise that interrupts classrooms is the goal of a yearlong campaign of the Highline School District called "A Sound Environment for Education." It involves everyone from first-graders to Sanford Fidell, an internationally acknowledged authority on aircraft noise. First-graders at Parkside Primary School are full of ideas when it comes to figuring out how to muffle the airplane noise that interrupts their class. Some suggestions, like wearing earplugs or moving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, are not practical. But others, such as soundproofing the school, might work.
The article reports airplane noise is a 25-year-old problem that has aggravated relations between the airport and the surrounding communities. The Highline School District is paying Fidell's firm, BBN Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., $ 365,000 to measure noise at 15 Highline schools. BBN technicians are using instrumentation-grade acoustic equipment to measure how noise penetrates schoolhouses. They will monitor as many as 20 frequency bands and their effects on classroom activities, Fidell said. Highline officials will also select a baseline school. Testing at that campus will provide BBN with the "typical or acceptable levels of noise impact in a classroom," Fidell said. BBN then will advise the district on ways to reduce jet noise in classrooms. Gov. Gary Locke appropriated state funds for half the cost of the study, and officials at the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport, say they are close to a deal with the district to help pay for the study. The Port has offered the school district $50 million to fix their noise problems. But Highline officials said they couldn't accept the money without first finding out whether it would cover all the costs of soundproofing.
The article goes on to say that in some Highline schools, teachers have created lesson plans around jet noise. For example, first-graders counted how many times airplane noise interrupted their class, and eighth-graders studied the logarithmic nature of the decibel scale. "It was totally worthwhile, because students could analyze and problem-solve about a problem in their lives," said John Donaghy, a math teacher at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines. Students at Southern Heights Elementary in Boulevard Park also measured noise. Sue Drenckpohl didn't know to what extent airplane noise was a problem in her first-grade class at Parkside in Des Moines. She estimated noise from jets interrupted her class 20 times a day, so she created a chart with that many rectangles to fill in. However, on most days the students counted 30 to 70 interruptions, and on April 3, they recorded 84 jet- noise incidents. BBN Technologies will review the students' findings and may use some of their data to complement their professional recordings, Fidell said.
PUBLICATION: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
DATE: May 6, 1998
SECTION: Editorial, Pg. 26A
DATELINE: Boca Raton, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Louis N. Gordon, resident
The Sun-Sentinel published an editorial by Boca Raton resident, Louis N. Gordon. In his letter to the editor, Mr. Gordon asks who has jurisdiction over noise from nearby railroad tracks. Mr. Gordon wrote:
Times have changed. The noise level for people living in Boca Teeca within a stone's throw of the railroad tracks has become progressively worse. My wife and I find it deafening to the point that it is detrimental to our physical and mental health.
Back in 1987, I registered many complaints concerning the noise resulting from the coupling and uncoupling of railroad cars in the wee hours of the morning by addressing myself to the then-mayor and city manager, Emil F. Danciu and James A. Rutherford of Boca Raton, Kenneth E. Feith, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Joe Walsh, Federal Railroad Administration in Washington, DC, all to no avail.
I was informed by Mr. Feith that the City of Boca Raton adopted an ordinance in July 1983, which was to "forbid the coupling and uncoupling of railroad cars between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Subsequent to that action the FEC sued the city successfully and the city wasn't able to enforce the ordinance."
It is obvious that the city does not have jurisdiction in matters of this kind. Who then has the authority to move the coupling area to a location that is non-residential so that our sleep won't be interrupted?
PUBLICATION: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: Metro; Pg. 1
BYLINE: Elizabeth Campbell
DATELINE: Fort Worth, Texas
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports while officials and business owners celebrate the steps being made toward commercial progress in a one area of Fort Worth, Texas, some nearby residents worry about traffic and noise. the opening of a Mexican market on North Main Street,
According to the article, residents welcome the improvements, but are concerned about their peace and quiet. Nine homes are near the planned wall and walkway. Five are owner-occupied and four are rented. Several vacant houses and lots are also on North Commerce. Addie Uranga, whose home is about 20 feet from the walkway and dividing wall that will form the rear of the Mexican market to open on North Main Street, said she is "cautiously optimistic" about the project but is concerned about the possibility of heavy traffic and noise invading her quiet street. "I want this to be a positive thing," said Uranga, who has lived on North Commerce for more than 30 years. "I wish them well; we'll have to take it a step at a time. " Groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for 10 a.m. today, on the Cinco de Mayo holiday, at 1430 Main St., a vacant lot that will be the plaza of the market, or mercado. "This is an exciting event for us," said Assistant City Manager Ramon Guajardo, who has worked on the mercado project since its inception in 1996.
The article reports that although some residents worry about increasing noise and traffic from crowds visiting the mercado on the edge of their neighborhood, some say the mercado will breathe new life there. Esther Orona, 63, who was born in a home on North Commerce, said she welcomes the mercado, especially the rebirth of the Marine Theater, which will be a performing arts center for the Hispanic community. "I think it's a good idea; it will make the area pretty," she said. "It's better to have this walkway instead of the alley behind our houses. "
The article also states City Councilman Jim Lane said officials take residents' concerns seriously. No bars will be allowed to locate in the mercado area, he said. Architect Floyd Schexnayder, who is overseeing plans for the mercado, said he met with the residents, who suggested how the wall might be designed. The wall will be 8 feet tall with some portions reaching to 10 feet. It will be a combination of solid stone or brick and wrought iron. Plenty of lighting will be added to increase safety, he said. "Our intention is to put the wall in, and then that would spur commercial development in the 1400 block," he said. Los Alamos restaurant co-owner Alfred Gallegos said he understands the wariness of the homeowners, but he said that businesses on North Main are fighting for their survival. The residents are mostly elderly, on fixed incomes and living in very modest homes, he said. The mercado could drive up their property taxes. Even if the residents were offered three times the worth of their property, they would have difficulty buying something else, he said. On the other hand, businesses need a better draw to keep the customers coming.
PUBLICATION: The Palm Beach Post
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: Local, Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Lisa Ocker
DATELINE: Boca Raton, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Barry Horowitz, resident
The Palm Beach Post reports Boca Raton, Florida, residents heard from members of an advisory committee on airport noise Monday. The committee listed its accomplishments but acknowledged their limited power to decrease airport noise.
According to the article, members of an advisory committee on airport noise Monday failed to answer the one question more than 60 residents wanted to know. "When are we going to be able to enjoy the quality of life we all moved to Boca Raton to enjoy - not to mention get a good night's sleep?" asked Barry Horowitz. Philip Modder, airport authority chairman, said there is no easy answer: "I would be lying if I told you (airport noise) is going to get a lot better. It's going to get a little better."
The article reports the 13-member Noise Compatibility Advisory Committee, comprised of neighborhood, aviation, city and business representatives. held the forum to inform residents about the group's work since its creation a year ago. Committee members told residents the authority's power to decrease noise is limited; the airport risks losing federal and state money, for instance, if it restricts air traffic or penalizes noisy planes without the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration. The committee supports night flight curfews, but before passing a ban on night flights, the airport authority must commission a noise study which could cost as much as $200,000 and get FAA approval. FAA officials have said they likely will approve the airport's application for money to help pay for the study. Committee members highlighted the following accomplishments: restricting touch-and-go practice landings and engine testing to weekdays; asking all pilots to avoid flying over neighborhoods when they take off; and hiring a full-time employee to oversee the noise abatement program.
PUBLICATION: Providence Journal-Bulletin (Providence, RI)
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: News, Pg. 1C
BYLINE: Jillian Safer
DATELINE: West Greenwich, Rhode Island
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Gary Robberson, resident
The Providence Journal-Bulletin reports the West Greenwich, Rhode Island Planning Board last night rejected noise tests performed by a gun club seeking a special-use permit to relocate. The Planning Board requested further noise tests as well as a second traffic study.
According to the article, the Planning Board rejected sound tests presented by the Wincheck Sportsman Club when they found the evaluation of gun noise the club submitted was not performed by a certified sound specialist and used a single rifle rather than the three shotguns and three rifles requested by the board. Furthermore, board members protested that the testing was done on a Friday afternoon rather than a weekend, with no notification of area residents, and with last-minute word to board members. The club, based in Exeter, wants to relocate to a 43-acre parcel off the New London Turnpike, abutting the Big River Management Area. The town's zoning regulations require a special-use permit for a gun club. The Planning Board will recommend action by the Zoning Board of Review. Last evening, the board told Eric Gould, the club's representative, that the next series of noise tests must be held on a weekend, with at least five days' notice to board members and nearby property owners. Also, they said, the new round of tests must include three shotguns and three rifles. Gould's lawyer, John Kupa, said that the club will perform more testing, but he said club members are confident that the results will be similar to last week's - with meters at the nearest homes barely able to record the sound of gunshots.
The article reports the board also requested a second traffic study to evaluate weekend traffic on the New London Turnpike as well as a report on the road's condition, which residents say could deteriorate under increased traffic from the club. Like the sound tests, the traffic results submitted last night was not taken from tests performed by a traffic specialist, and the testing was performed on a weekday, when traffic is typically lighter.
According to the article, residents crowded the council chamber in Town Hall last night. While the houses nearest the club's prospective new home are more than half a mile away, and there is already seasonal hunting in the Big River Management Area, residents said they fear the club's additional noise and traffic will ruin their neighborhood. Gary Robberson, of 376 Henry Brown Rd., said he had lived near the South County Rod & Gun Club, on the Exeter-West Greenwich line, and does not want to deal with the noise again. "I work six days a week to be able to afford to live in this town," he said. "On Sundays I want to relax with my family." Robberson vowed that he and other residents won't back down. "I'm a fighter. This town's a fighter," he said. "Get ready for a fight."
PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. A03
BYLINE: Pat R. Gilbert
DATELINE: Bergen County, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Marion Crecco, assemblywoman
The Record reports New Jersey's Assembly Transportation Committee approved a bill Monday that would allow counties to choose the form of their highway noise barriers.
According to the article, the approved a bill, headed for the full Assembly, would allow counties to choose their barriers, such as evergreens, gabion walls (caged-in rocks), basic wood, clay-like material, concrete, or something else. "So many of our constituents are concerned with those walls," said Assemblywoman Marion Crecco, R-Bloomfield, one of the bill's sponsors. "Not only are they ugly, but if your car breaks down or someone is harassing you on the road, there's no way you can get help because they go on for miles." But the state Department of Transportation says it has been paying "close attention" to the appearance of noise walls. The department has planted vegetation, used brown stucco-like walls on such places as Route 287, and experimented with plexiglass walls.
The article reports, proponents of the measure say that using evergreens and bushes would be cheaper than concrete, would provide better safety for stranded drivers, and wouldn't look as imposing as the traditional sound walls. Crecco maintained that natural vegetation can absorb the same amount of sound at one-third the cost. But the DOT says that evergreens could wind up costing more in the long run because the state would have to buy property for them to work. "In order to provide meaningful noise abatement, you'd need to have evergreens a minimum of 100 feet deep, and probably more," said DOT spokesman John Dourgarian. "I don't know of any locations in the state where we have the luxury of that much room. With property values the way they are, it could exceed the cost of the traditional noise wall."
The article states that the traditional noise walls may not win any beauty contests, but there are many residents waiting for them, according to DOT. At least 12 communities are waiting for the barriers, and the state has such a backlog of requests (some for 20 years) that it isn't even taking new orders.
PUBLICATION: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: Local, Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Karla Schuster
DATELINE: Boca Raton, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Barry Horowitz, resident; Susan Whelchel, city councilwoman
The Sun-Sentinel reports a public forum, sponsored by Florida's Boca Raton Airport Noise Compatibility Advisory Committee, was held Monday to update residents about changes made by the airport to reduce noise and give residents an opportunity to speak about the noise problem.
According to the article, the committee convinced the airport to ban repeated take-offs and landings, used by pilots to practice technique, from occurring at night and on weekends. After the committee's presentation about soundproofing techniques, one resident expressed his opinion: "I think this was a little bit of a filibuster," Barry Horowitz, who lives near the airport, told the committee. "And I don't want to hear about how I should soundproof my home unless I can send you a bill."
The article reports the airport receives the most noise complaints about jets, yet there are only three based at the airport. Most of the jet traffic is from corporate jets serving the city's business community. The city and the airport should push business leaders who ride in corporate jets to honor voluntary night curfews, the president of the city's Pilots Association said on Monday night at a public forum on noise problems. "We've done a lot to get the word out to pilots about our curfews and other noise reduction procedures, but a pilot takes off when he's told to take off, and a pilot doesn't want to be up at 4 a.m. any more than you do," Boca Raton Pilots Association President Dave Freudenberg said. "We need to communicate with the corporate community and remind them that they are in the middle of a residential area," Freudenberg said.
The article goes on to report that City Councilwoman Susan Whelchel said the efforts have not gone far enough and that many residents do not trust airport officials and the Airport Authority. "The problem here is trust and whether the airport is serious about the noise issue," Whelchel said. "The idea about notifying corporate leaders about our noise policies-- well, I suggested that about a year ago and was told it couldn't be done." Whelchel called on the Airport Authority to immediately begin a noise study, called a Part 150, that could be used to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to institute mandatory flight curfews. The airport said in order to conduct the study, it needs to know that the FAA will reimburse them for the estimated $300,000 cost. The FAA is not expected to make that decision for a few months.
PUBLICATION: Telegraph Herald
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: Front; Pg. a 1
BYLINE: Jennifer Wilkinson
DATELINE: Dubuque, Iowa
The Telegraph Herald reports the Dubuque, Iowa ,City Council approved two ordinances Monday night to make the city quieter.
According to the article, Dubuque's new ordinances deal with car stereos and barking dogs. The council unanimously approved an ordinance that prohibits loud car stereos. Now, a driver of a car with a stereo heard from 200 feet away will be issued a $25 traffic citation. Police Chief John Mauss said most offenders are teenagers. In the past, charges against them were filed in juvenile court under a general noise ordinance. Mauss told the council he believes the new ordinance will allow for more efficient enforcement.
The article reports the council also approved a nuisance ordinance and barking-dogs policy. Under the barking-dogs policy, the animal warden or a police officer will investigate complaints as soon as possible. If the dog is not making noise when an officer arrives, a complaint notice will be sent to the owner. If the dog is causing a problem, a warning will be given. If the problem continues, the city solicitor will determine if there should be mediation between neighbors or if charges of disturbing the peace should be filed. City Manager Michael Van Milligen said mediation would be the best alternative when a conflict between neighbors is not just about a barking dog. "In some barking-dog cases, the dog is not really the problem - it's two neighbors who can't get along," he said. "That's when mediation would be most helpful."
PUBLICATION: Ventura County Star
DATE: May 5, 1998
SECTION: News; Pg. A03
BYLINE: Gregg Mansfield
DATELINE: Ventura County, California
The Ventura County Star reports the Camarillo and Oxnard airports are undergoing a noise study to determine if there is a problem at either airstrip.
According to the article, if the study finds any noise problems, the county could qualify for Federal Aviation Administration grants. As part of the study, the county is meeting with both Camarillo residents and Oxnard residents. The meetings will give people a chance to register their complaints or praise for the airports. "Generally we don't get a whole lot of complaints," said Oxnard Airport manager Tad Dougherty. "A plane may fly too low once in a while and we'll get some calls." County airport officials said they receive maybe two or three complaints a month about noise problems. Lea Gutierrez of Camarillo, whose home is in the path of the airport, said airplanes can be bothersome when she's on the phone or watching television. "It's something I'm getting use to," said Gutierrez, who has lived in her home for a year. "The bigger planes can make a lot of noise. (But) the noise from the small planes lasts only a couple of seconds."
The article reports the study will look at whether either airport has noise problems and if they do, what can be done to reduce or eliminate problems. Ways of correcting the problems could include installing double-pane windows in homes, adding more insulation to houses, or moving flight patterns, Dougherty said. The study should be completed by the end of the year.
PUBLICATION: The Detroit News (Detroit, MI)
DATE: May 4, 1998
SECTION: Metro; Pg. Pg. C3
BYLINE: Craig Garrett
DATELINE: New Boston, Michigan
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Colleen Modzelewski, resident; Dave Glaab, Huron Township Supervisor
The Detroit News reports a Michigan resident is battling with the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to buy her home, which lies beneath takeoff and landing flight path. The noise from the planes is slowly deafening her children, she claims.
According to the article, there's been one positive side effect of Northwest Airlines' recent problems at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The problems have meant less flights and less noise for Colleen Modzelewski, who claims her children are slowly being deafened by jet aircraft streaking over her home. "The last couple of years have been horrifying," Modzelewski said. "Every less plane only helps."
The article reports Modzelewski is battling Wayne County to force it to buy her home, which is in the airport's southern takeoff and landing flight path. Her Shook Road home has been on the market five years, but she has had no buyers because of the airliners' noise, she said. Modzelewski has been fighting with Wayne County airport and noise officials for nearly seven years to have her home either sound-insulated or purchased. Since 1988, Wayne County has been involved in a program to reduce noise in a geographic area surrounding the airport. But Modzelewski said, after some changes, her home now falls outside the noise area, disqualifying her family from participating in a home buyout plan.
The article states Wayne County airport officials want the Modzelewskis to sign an agreement guaranteeing the market value of their home, should they sell it. But there's a qualification: The couple also would have to release the county from liability from any injury "alleged to have been sustained" during the county's efforts to sound-proof or buyout homes surrounding the airport. In other words, the couple could not come back 10 years later and hold the county responsible for noise -related injuries. "I'm not signing any of that," she said. "It's baloney, and Wayne County knows it." Airport Director Dave Katz and county spokeswoman June West declined comment.
The article goes on to say Huron Township Supervisor Dave Glaab, a critic of the county's noise mitigation effort, said the county planned to have 250 homes surrounding the airport quieted with thicker windows and sound-proofed walls by the end of 1997. So far, only 30 are complete. "I'll concede they've picked up the pace," Glaab said. "But it's an election year ... let's hope the momentum continues."
PUBLICATION: The Idaho Statesman
DATE: May 4, 1998
SECTION: Local ; Pg. 1b
BYLINE: Lori Bettineski
DATELINE: Eagle, Idaho
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Rick Yzaguirre, mayor
The Idaho Statesman reports a new noise ordinance approved by Eagle City, Idaho, is now in effect. The City Council is confident the new ordinance is enforceable.
According to the article, the Eagle City Council Tuesday approved an ordinance to control noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. An ordinance prohibiting open-containers was approved as well. "These ordinances will give the (Ada County) Sheriff's Department some teeth in enforcement out here," said Eagle Mayor Rick Yzaguirre. "Now they can look to the law to control things."
The article lists the following noise restrictions in the Treasure Valley's three biggest cities and Ada County:
Boise - The city law bans "loud amplification" devices that can be heard in neighboring residences or from any street or sidewalk 100 feet from a house or 50 feet from a car. This applies 24 hours a day.
Meridian - Loud or offensive noises are banned from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Nampa - City code bans loud noises on public streets from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Ada County - The county's ordinance bans "loud or offensive" noise audible from 100 feet between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
PUBLICATION: The Columbian (Vancouver, WA)
DATE: May 3, 1998
SECTION: B; Pg. 11
BYLINE: Tom Koenninger
DATELINE: Vancouver, Washington
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ernie Schnabler, member of the PDX Noise Abatement Advisory Committee
The Columbian printed an editorial that says Portland International Airport's practice of sending noise over Clark County, Washington, is unacceptable. It's time for residents to object to this noise abuse and secure representation on the Portland Airport's governing board.
According to the editorial, the Portland International Airport (PDX) is exploring new flight patterns. For at least 15 years, jets leaving Portland International Airport to the west followed the Columbia River and turned at eight miles or 6,000 feet; those climbing east flew 11 miles or to 7,000 feet before turning. Under current tests, pilots of the quietest airliners may turn at 4,000 feet, regardless of distance from the airport. The goal is to reduce airplane noise above areas with increased population. If permanent flight patterns result from the tests, Clark County, Washington, could become a "noise ghetto."
The editorial states spreading the noise over areas that have not heard it before would be to everyone's detriment. Ernie Schnabler of Vancouver, a member of the PDX Noise Abatement Advisory Committee, agrees with this assessment. He said the Port of Portland has a legislative mandate to run an efficient and flexible business. Schnabler said there is a social responsibility noise abatement as well. PDX, located in Oregon and controlled by officials elected in Oregon, legally owes nothing to citizens north of the Columbia River. If citizens don't complain to the airport's Noise Abatement Advisory Committee, they could be living with permanent jet rumble.
The editorial concedes that it's valuable to have a metropolitan airport on the doorstep of Clark County. It is one reason many businesses and some industries have located there. However, the price for convenient air service should not be noise abuse. Despite the state line, there should be representation from Clark County on the main airport governing body, and not just three representatives on the purely advisory noise abatement committee. In the spirit of regionalism, more Clark County involvement is needed to influence the future of Portland International Airport. Exporting the noise to Clark County is not acceptable.
PUBLICATION: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
DATE: May 3, 1998
SECTION: News Pg.02b
BYLINE: Martha Elson
DATELINE: St. Matthews, Kentucky
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Wiletta Bleuel and Denise Hawkins, co-presidents of the Windhurst Acres Neighborhood Association Inc.; Sheila Winter, resident
The Courier-Journal reports St. Matthews residents whose homes border a planned interchange along Kentucky's Interstate 264 have requested the state erect a concrete noise barrier.
According to the article, if the long-planned and delayed interchange is finally built at Westport Road and Interstate 264, representatives of Windhurst Acres subdivision in St. Matthews are convinced they will need a concrete noise barrier. "We are right here" by the interchange site, said subdivision resident Wiletta Bleuel, and "we are strictly residential." The subdivision is north of Westport Road, just east of I-264, between the cities of Graymoor-Devondale and Windy Hills. The interchange would put a new expressway ramp behind homes on Chippenham Road. Bleuel and Denise Hawkins, co-presidents of the Windhurst Acres Neighborhood Association Inc., plan to ask the St. Matthews City Council for support on the noise barrier issue at the council's next meeting May 12. They also are discussing a neighborhood petition drive in an effort to lobby for the barrier.
The article reports a noise barrier for the subdivision is not part of the current construction plan, although the plan does include an 8-foot wooden fence for visual screening, said Larry Chaney, a design engineer with the state Transportation Cabinet. But, partly in response to residents' concerns, highway officials have decided to update a 1994 noise and environmental analysis to reassess whether a noise barrier is warranted, Chaney said. "I've been concerned about that from the beginning," he said. The state's computer analyses look at how much traffic and noise will increase in the next 20 years, Chaney said. The reassessment is good news for Windhurst Acres, said Bleuel, who attended last week's St. Matthews City Council meeting with Hawkins. "I think they're being very sensitive to our needs . . . and really listening to our concerns," added Sheila Winter, of Chippenham Road.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: May 3, 1998
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 14; Zones Desk
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Times published the following letter to the editor from Brad Sherman, Congressman, 24th District. In his letter, Sherman responds to criticism lodged at a questionnaire he sent out about airport noise. Sherman wrote:
Re "Questionnaire About Airports," Letters to the Valley Edition, April 19.
Robert Rodine questions whether a survey sent to Sherman Oaks, Encino and Reseda regarding noise generated by Van Nuys Airport is somehow inappropriate, because I did not survey other areas of my district such as Malibu and Thousand Oaks. He criticizes the survey because "it does not gauge the sentiments of all those in his district after having first informed of the benefits derived from the airports." This is the first time that I have heard that a survey has propagandized one side of an issue, and then asked the respondents' positions.
He urges Valley residents to advise elected officials to "stop their crusade to crush our economy by destroying airports." So far, what we have achieved is a prohibition on the noisiest jets departing from Van Nuys Airport after 10 p.m. I believe that allowing the people of Sherman Oaks, Reseda, Encino and Van Nuys to sleep at night will pay economic dividends.
PUBLICATION: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: Local, Pg. B-3, West Neighborhoods
DATELINE: Moon, Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Moon, Pennsylvania, has recently discovered that FAA regulations pre-empt local and state regulations as far as noise from Pittsburgh International Airport is concerned.
According to the article, with its proximity to Pittsburgh International Airport, Moon officials and residents are always concerned about noise. So at the request of the supervisors, Solicitor Charles Means reviewed the local regulations on air travel at airports. The supervisors had hoped to find some way to control it or at least cut down on the noise. Last night, though, Means had no good news for the supervisors. Because FAA regulations pre-empt local and state regulations as far as noise, flight path and altitude is concerned, Moon's only option, Means said, is to ask airport officials to take whatever measures feasible to minimize the noise and hope for the best.
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Sun
DATE: May 9, 1998
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion, Pg. 17, Saturday Spotlight
BYLINE: Robin Ward
DATELINE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Robin Ward
The Toronto Sun printed an editorial by Robin Ward, a resident of the Rosedale neighborhood in Toronto, Ontario, describing a personal fight against leaf blowers. The editorial details how the writer moved into the neighborhood and fixed up a deteriorating house, only to find that the area is assaulted by leaf blowers in the summer.
According to the editorial writer, a few years ago his marriage ended and he had to quickly find a new place to live. He found an old house on the edge of the upscale Rosedale neighborhood that was deteriorating, but he fell in love with the house, and had it repaired and re-furnished, investing substantial amounts of money.
But, the writer says, he had no idea he was living in a war zone. He arrived in November, and after a first, quiet winter, the hostilities resumed. The writer says he was lying on the couch one Saturday afternoon in early spring when a tremendous and frightening roar came from outside that made him leap off the couch. Three people wielding leaf blowers and wearing headphones were outside his house. The writer says he was enraged that his little bit of heaven should be assaulted, and he rushed outside to confront the enemy. But, he says, the leaf blower workers couldn't hear a thing he said.
The following Monday, the writer says, he went down to City Hall to find out what the city's noise laws said. The clerk there informed him that some years back, city councilor Howard Levine brought leaf blower legislation before the council, but that it was laughed out of a committee as being too frivolous and unenforceable. Next, the writer says, he went home with the bylaws, and to the accompaniment of leaf blowers, power mowers, and weed whackers outside his window, pored over them. He was briefly encouraged when he came to a bylaw that said excessive noise caused by "the operation of a powered property service tool other than snow removal equipment, is forbidden," but then he read on, "between the hours of 9 p.m. one day and 7 a.m. the next, unless the following day is a Sunday or a holiday in which case the time shall be 9 a.m." Then, the editorial writer says, he came to another bylaw section that listed permissible decibel levels for various types of equipment. The decibel level permitted for leaf blowers was 70 decibels, measured at a distance of 15 meters. This, it turns out, is just 3 decibels below an air compressor and 13 decibels below a pneumatic pavement breaker, the writer says. In other words, he says, you probably could set of a hydrogen bomb as long as you don't do it between the restricted hours.
The editorial goes on to report that during the next few weeks, wave after wave of gardeners swarmed over the neighborhood creating an incredible din, while many homeowners seemed oblivious to the racket.
The editorial writer reports that he has not lived in his house for three years and has learned a lot. For instance, he says, wax earplugs are much better than the sponge variety. And, during peak gardening hours, it's best to get out of Rosedale and head to a quieter part of the city.
But, he says, he has found fellow noise sufferers in the neighborhood, and they are organizing. Neighbors are going to start putting all the leaf-blowing, hedge-trimming, weed-whacking, lawn-mowing, compost-mulching units on notice that they're mad and they're not going to take it anymore. So, the writer advises, beware invading gardeners. Neighbors won't rest until they hear the gentle sounds of raking, sweeping, and hand mowers.
PUBLICATION: Public Record
DATE: May 8, 1998
SECTION: Vol 22; No 19; Pg 1
DATELINE: Palm Springs, California
The Public Record reports that the Palm Springs Regional Airport in Palm Springs, California announced today that their Residential Sound Insulation Pilot Project has been completed. The article explains that in 1996, ten homes near the airport were selected for noise insulation work to test how much noise could be reduced in the homes. The project was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airport, the article notes.
The article explains that the homes were chosen in late 1996. Noise tests were conducted at that time, and recommendations were made based on the noise levels. Mitigation measures included replacing windows and doors, adding attic insulation, fireplace dampers, and fireplace glass screens. The construction was completed in March 1998, and the final cost was $202,028, an average of $20,203 per home. The article notes that noise tests were performed again after the construction.
According to the article, airport officials now will move forward to insulate more homes near the airport. There are about 226 homes north of the airport that are eligible for soundproofing, and airport officials have received applications for 103 homeowners to participate in the project.
Previous week: April 26, 1998
Next week: May 10, 1998
Aircraft Noise
Amplified Noise
Effects on Wildlife/Animals
Construction Noise
Firing Ranges
Health Effects
Home Equipment and Appliances
Industrial/Manufacturing
International News
Environmental Justice
Land Use and Noise
Lawsuits
Civil Liberty Issues
Miscellaneous Noise Stories
Noise Ordinances
Noise Organizations Mentioned
Outdoor Events
Noise in Our National Parks/Natural Areas
Regulation
Residential and Community Noise
Snowmobile and ATV Noise
Research and Studies
Technological Solutions to Noise
Transportation Related Noise
Violence and Noise
Watercraft Noise
Workplace Noise
Chronological Index
Geographical Index