PUBLICATION: The New York Times
DATE: April 27, 1997
SECTION: Section 13CN; Page 1; Column 1; Connecticut Weekly Desk
BYLINE: By Barbara W. Carlson
DATELINE: Long Island Sound, Connecticut
The New York Times reports that residents along the waterfront of Long Island Sound are battling with Oyster harvesters over the proprietary rights to the water just offshore from residential neighborhoods.
The situation has just recently become a problem, the article reports. The oyster beds in the area, once profitable, were dormant for many years. Not anymore. New beds have yielded harvests that have made the area as productive as Louisiana and Washington, the top producers in the country.
The men who fish the area say it is a shame to let such beds go unharvested, and have suggested that they will stay out of the waters until after 9a.m. But residents are still concerned.
James H. Chambers, who owns several acres of shoreline property, summed up the problem. According to the article, Chambers said that the man who sold him the oyster beds "would turn over in his grave if I sold the beds to landowners to keep them from being worked." Yet, "waterfront property is sacred to me. I would like people to have quiet enjoyment of it. I'm torn between the fisherman who has the right to make a living and the homeowner whom I'm probably more sympathetic to because of my love of sailing and the sea. It is a dilemma."
PUBLICATION: The New York Times
DATE: April 27, 1997
SECTION: Section 13LI; Page 19; Column 1; Long Island Weekly Desk
BYLINE: Edward J. Petrou
DATELINE: Long Island, New York
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Edward J. Petrou
The New York Times reports that the beauty that brought many people to Long Island is being marred by sound barrier walls that have risen along the expressway.
Due to noise regulations set by the Federal Government, noise mitigation has had to be implemented along the expressway, the article reports. Accordin to Edward J. Petrou, Regional Director of the Department of Transportation, the DOT is dedicated to minimizing the negative visual impact of these walls.
For instance, Petrou points out are composed of wood to blend into the Suffolk County scenery, and trees, vines and shrubs have been planted, and will eventually hide the wall. In other areas where space does not allow for landscaping, cement walls have been designed with visual breaks such as dying the walls to match other scenery and painting other designs that lessen the hard visual impact of the structures.
Petrou said the DOT will continue to look for ways to lower the noise and keep the visual impact of the sound barriers to a minimum.
PUBLICATION: The Times-Picayune
DATE: April 27, 1997
SECTION: Picayune; Pg. 1D1
BYLINE: By Vicki Hyman Kenner Bureau
DATELINE: New Orleans, Louisiana
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: noise mitigation specialist Jason Devillier
The Times-Picayune reports that only 52 percent of the jets flying into Kenner airport meet Federally mandated Stage 3 noise requirements. Members of the New Orleans International Airport's noise abatement committee are concerned about the numbers.
Federal regulations required that 65 percent of the aircraft in airline fleets be Stage 3 jets by the end of 1996. Yet those aircraft are being used to fly into cities where noise ordinances require Stage 3 aircraft to be used. Since New Orleans doesn't have such an ordinance, the city is taking on a higher than average share of aircraft noise.
Noise complaints around the airport average roughly 45 a month. Airport committee members are asking noise mitigation specialist Jason Devillier to study the noise situation around other airports to see if noise levels are higher in New Orleans. If so, the committee plans to ask airlines to fly quieter aircraft into the airport.
PUBLICATION: Telegram and Gazette, North Edition
DATE: April 30, 1997
SECTION: LOCAL NEWS; Pg. B2
BYLINE: Christine Guilfoy; Telegram & Gazette Staff
DATELINE: LEOMINSTER
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Health Director Robert P. Carlson, resident Nancy Koski
Gazette reports that the air conditioning system of Cortland House, a 60-unit living facility, has been exceeding city noise limits since it was built last May. The neighbors that immediately complained had Health Director Robert P. Carlson order the facility's owner, Max E. Jordan, to fix the problem. Cortland House Officials claim the noise problem has since been fixed, but city officials disagree and are considering taking legal action.
The Gazette reports the excessive noise comes from the facility's chiller and smaller fan and air conditioning units. In a hearing last year, Cortland House officials outlined the steps taken to reduce the noise, including a noise barrier and echo panel around the chiller. Neighbor Nancy Koski, active in the dispute, claims the noise is still very loud and sometimes rattles her windows.
The City Council met in executive session Monday night, discussing the noise problem with Assistant City Solicitor Peter A. CampoBasso. The city is considering a lawsuit against Cortland House, according to Council President Claire M. Freda. Freda would not comment further.
PUBLICATION: The Nikkei Weekly
DATE: April 28, 1997
SECTION: ISSUES & PEOPLE; Pg. 20
The Nikkei Weekly reports there is a rising number of complaints regarding the electronic tones emitted from devices such as electronic games and pocket pagers. Mobile phone use is spreading from businesspeople to students, however the phone users themselves may themselves be susceptible to a form of "beep phobia", researchers show.
PUBLICATION: NBC News
DATE: April 30, 1997
SECTION: NBC News, Wednesday, 10:39 a.m.
BYLINE: Linda Vestor, anchor; Robert Hager reporting
NBC News reports that the federal government states the number of trucks driving through the streets of cities and towns has increased twice as fast as the number of trucks using interstate highways over the past ten years. The economic growth of superstores and malls in suburban neighborhoods, and the move of manufacturing plants and distribution centers into smaller neighborhoods, are creating noise pollution and costing local governments $3.3 billion in street repair. 80% of what consumers want, including food and clothing, are brought by truck.
NBC News reports that 900 trucks a day now drive through the previously quiet Princeton, New Jersey. Residents have posted signs on their lawns in hopes of banning the largest trucks, which sometimes drive through the town at 3 a.m. The state has only reduced the speed limit for trucks, but the mayor plans to keep fighting.
Small neighborhood residents are wary of some of the trucks' other dangers besides noise and air pollution. Nancy Fangy of Roanoke, Texas, will not let her children play in the street because of the trucks' braking time. Store owner Michael Cole of Santee, California, where 2800 trucks a day use Mission Gorge Road, says the trucks drive rather fast and he has even seen one lose a trailer. "It's pretty scary."
PUBLICATION: The Idaho Statesman
DATE: April 28, 1997
SECTION: Teen Panel ;Pg. 14v
BYLINE: Janelle Wilson, teenage resident
DATELINE: Boise, Idaho
The Idaho Statesman printed the following editorial from Janelle Wilson, a teenager in Boise, Idaho, regarding the city's new noise ordinance:
A barking dog ... A screaming child ... A fire engine ... A passing car ... Noise ... When you live in a city like Boise, you should expect a fair amount of noise. For this reason, I strongly disagree with the new sound ordinance ticketing all noise audible more than 50 feet away.
I know this law affects a lot of people in many different ways. I have already heard about several businesses having to shut down public address systems, and many others have had complaints from surrounding tenants. The problem that affects me and my peers most directly is that this law puts a serious hold on our stereo systems. Systems that we have put a lot of time and money into.
You can hear a conversation or a lawnmower from 50 feet away. I can understand possibly setting up a curfew for the ordinance, but in its entirety, I think the law is ridiculous. Businesses shouldn't have to rearrange or relocate because of irritable neighbors. I don't think it's fair to put a law in effect that leaves so many people exempt for these purposes. Snowblowers, street cleaners, and, of course, the police sirens are left out for business purposes. Why should their business be more important than anyone else's?
I'm sure other affected owners and workers might disagree. I just don't think a law should be passed on such a widespread everyday thing such as noise when most of the problems could just be handled on a personal level.
PUBLICATION: Newsday, Queens Edition
DATE: April 28, 1997
SECTION: NEWS; Page A23
BYLINE: By William Murphy. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: New York, NY
Newsday reports that City Councilmen Anthony Weiner (Brooklyn) and A. Gifford Miller (Manhattan) have proposed a bill that would declare the sale or installation of noisy car alarms in the city to be illegal. Under the new legislation, cars that are built with alarms in the factory would still be permitted however. Miller states he wishes he could ban all audible alarms, but that would prove an unconstitutional action against interstate commerce. If the law is passed, first violations by installers or sellers will cost them $500 to $1,000, second violations will cost $1,000 to $2,500, and subsequent violations up to $5,000.
Newsday reports there have been previous attempts at controlling the noise of car alarms. Councilmen Sheldon Leffler (Hollis) and Sal Albanese (Brooklyn) had proposed a bill that banned the alarms but the proposal dissipated due to lack of support. According to Leffler, the Police Department felt the administrative work in pursuing the car owners would be overly complicated and unfruitful. When the Legislature researched the car alarms in 1992, they discovered an estimated 95% of the triggers were electrical glitches or passing trucks.
The article reports the city currently fines car owners whose alarms do not turn off after 10 minutes, and the state fines after 3 minutes. Car owners who have an audible alarm in their car are supposed to register with their local precinct and leave the precinct telephone number on their dashboard so they can be notified if an alarm is sounding without stopping. According to Miller, these laws are widely ignored, and the police do not place priority on enforcing the laws. In the 30 month period ending in June of 1996, Weiner and Miller discovered 622 summonses issued for car alarm violations.
The new law would not affect car owners who already have alarms in their cars or who need to have their alarm repaired during the alarm's warranty period. However the alarms would not be permitted repair in the city after the warranty expires.
Miller states that no evidence has been presented to him that car alarms actually prevent car theft. He believes professional car thieves can steal a car in a matter of seconds, with or without an alarm. The Automobile Club of New York takes no formal position on Miller's and Weiner's proposal.
PUBLICATION: Airports
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 14, No. 17; Pg. 173
DATELINE: U.S.
The publication Airports printed the following Federal Aviation Administration notices in the Federal Register regarding noise issues:
April 21: A May 14 meeting is announced of the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to discuss noise certification issues. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, 1400 K Street N.W., Washington, D.C. For more information, call Angela Anderson at 202-267-9681.
April 25: A determination is announced that the updated future noise exposure map submitted for Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport complies with applicable requirements.
PUBLICATION: Daily News
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: Suburban; Pg. 1
BYLINE: By STEPHANIE BORISE
DATELINE: New York
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Representative Nita Lowey; Frans Verhagen, co-founder of Safe Aviation for Everyone (citizen watchdog group); League for the Hard of Hearing
The New York Daily News reports that Rep. Nita Lowey id proposing a bill, the Quiet Communities Act of 1997, that would provide the Environmental Protection Agency with an additional $44 million over the next five years to reopen the noise abatement office that was closed in 1981. Under this bill, the Noise Abatement and Control Office would oversee federal noise abatement activities and noise standards, promote research and education, and conduct airport noise studies examining the Federal Aviation Administration's noise measurement techniques.
Lowey spoke at Halsey Junior High School, which is near LaGuardia Airport. According to experts the airport is the largest noise problem the school faces. Frans Verhagen, co-founder of Safe Aviation for Everyone, is helping the school in its campaign for better insulation and shielding from airport noise.
On the day of Lowey's talk, over 120 sixth-graders took hearing tests in mobile screening units from the League for the Hard of Hearing. Verhagen plans to compare the testing results with sixth-graders in a school farther away from the airport.
PUBLICATION: The Houston Chronicle
DATE: April 30, 1997
SECTION: A; Pg. 22
BYLINE: John Williams
DATELINE: Houston, Texas
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston; Rep. Ken Yarbrough, D-Houston; Rep.
Scott Hochberg, D-Houston
The Houston Chronicle reports that if a new bill is approved by House members, the state will build a sound barrier to protect neighborhoods from Loop 610 traffic. The Department of Transportation would be forced to build the barrier between the Loop and the Pleasantville and Shepherd Forest subdivisions. The Department of Transportation builds sound barriers along new or expanded highways, but older neighborhoods like the two mentioned above get ignored while noise levels increase around them. If the bill is approved it will go to the Senate.
The article reports Rep. Senfronia Thompson filed the legislation per the request of Pleasantville residents who state the highway noise is often louder than 90 decibels. Rep. Ken Yarbrough amended the bill to make the DOT build a 2.5 mile barrier along the North Loop between Yale and T. C. Jester. Rep. Scott Hochberg amended the bill to get DOT to research the placement of a barrier along the West Loop, between Braeswood and South Post Oak.
The barrier would cost an estimated $1.5 million. The barrier would start on the west end of the Loop and extend three-fifths of a mile. Conservative members of the House, like Rep. Frank Corte, claim the Texas Constitution prohibits special projects for specific groups. Thompson claims the Legislature commissions special projects frequently, noting sound barriers built along MoPac in Austin after MoPac was originally built.
PUBLICATION: Singapore Straits Times
DATE: April 28, 1997
SECTION: News
DATELINE: London, England
The Singapore Straits Times reports that an article in the Sunday Times says researchers are now applying the latest theories on active sound control to armchairs and beds, which they hope will be able to shut out noise from loud neighbors.
According to the article, the active sound control technology works by using speakers to emit an opposing, mirror-image noise that neutralizes incoming noise. Researchers are experimenting with active-noise panels, in which an outer pane of glass acts as a microphone and the inner pane acts as a loudspeaker. The article says similar technology has been successful with cars, aircraft, and ventilation fans. Lotus Engineering, for example, has used the technology to deaden the rumbling noise of moving cars, and Westland Helicopters is also experimenting with active sound control to make the gearbox of rotor blades less noisy. Now, researchers believe the same technology can be applied to the rising number of domestic complaints about noise. An architect who specializes in "intelligent" buildings said he believes the technology will be successfully applied to furniture within the next five to ten years.
PUBLICATION: The Houston Chronicle
DATE: April 27, 1997
SECTION: LIFESTYLE; Pg. 1
BYLINE: CLIFFORD PUGH; Staff
DATELINE: Houston, TX
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Nancy Nadler, director of the Noise Center
The Houston Chronicle reports that it conducted its own noise level study around Houston, finding many places noisier than 85 decibels. A decibel reading higher than 85 decibels can cause hearing damage to the human ear, depending upon the length of exposure time. The Noise Center, a national organization that promotes noise awareness and hearing conservation, is sponsoring the second annual International Noise Awareness Day The day aims to get the world to observe a minute of silence at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The article reports four years ago, Houston's city council passed a noise ordinance which set specific decibel limits and a maximum penalty of $2,000. The maximum decibel reading allowed in residential areas is 65 and evening levels 58. Loud garden and lawn machinery are prohibited between 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Houston's everyday noises exceed these limits on a daily basis, but the noises are not "illegal" unless someone makes a complaint. Police then measure the sound from the property where the noise complaint was made, not heard.
The Houston Chronicle's study utilized a hand-held decibel meter bought from Radio Shack. They visited various parts of the city and measured the meter's readings. Ruggles, a popular restaurant, hit 86 decibels on a Saturday night. Two people talking on a busy street hit 70 decibels, and the level of rush hour traffic measured 78 decibels. A Metro bus hit 94 decibels. The interior of a 10-year-old Volkswagon convertible driving on a freeway with the windows up hit 78 decibels, but hit 90 decibels when an 18 wheeler truck drove past and the convertible top was down. A train traveling through the Heights measured 92 decibels, and an airplane landing at Hobby Airport measured 96 decibels. Musical bands playing outdoors of Sam's Place, Sam's Club, and the Daiquiri Factory hit 114 decibels, with car stereo systems which drove past hitting nearly the same level. The movie entitled Scream at a local theater hit 100 decibels during a climactic point of the movie. The Houston Zoo was relatively calm with the exception of a macaw shriek at 92 decibels, the calls of the siamang gibbons at 104 decibels. The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park measured 56 decibels, and the Houston Arboretum measured 54 decibels, with the exception of the side that faced a highway causing the reading to jump to 70 decibels.
The article reports Bill Cook, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston, has been studying noise for 25 years, but he and other experts are still unsure of what the long-term health effects are. Part of the lack of research may come from the Reagan administration's cut of federal funding and the closing of the Office of Noise Abatement and Control 15 years ago. Nancy Nadler, director of the Noise Center, points out a study conducted on schoolchildren living near an airport. The study shows that the children living near an airport have a higher rate of hypertension than children living in quieter areas. Another study compared the rate of literacy between children who studied on the side of a school nearest to an airport or elevated train station and children who studied on the relatively quieter side of the school. The children on the noisier side had a slower learning rate.
The article reports one case of noise pollution regarding a neighbors barking dog. A woman who chooses to remain nameless reports that the repeated barking of her neighbor's dog prevents her from working peacefully in her home office. Police spokesperson Wright says an officer will come to measure the noise level of the barking, but sometimes the dog ceases upon the officer's arrival, and such cases are hard to prosecute in general. Police usually encourage neighbors to work it out between themselves.
The article reports that the fight against noise pollution is spreading. The Right to Quiet Society from Vancouver, British Columbia, has gone international. They have an Internet site and has helped create "quiet beaches" and construction-free Sundays in several cities. A Houston acoustical consultant, Charles Moritz, states products that are quieter are becoming more popular, especially in car and appliance sales.
The article reports former Houston residents Alison Robertson Baumann and husband Peter are building a retreat in Mexico specifically dedicated to providing a noise-free vacation for its visitors. Conversation will be banned in one of the dining rooms, and from certain areas of the complex during specific times of the day. The 4,000-acre ranch, called San Miguel, will have no televisions, telephones, or newspapers. Mr. Baumann claims to already have a very positive response.
The article also reports The Occupational Safety and Health Administration demands that a workplace louder than 90 decibels for more than eight hours must enforce earplugs for employees. Hearing protection is recommended for anyone exposed to 85 decibels or higher, especially if for a prolonged time.
The article provides the following information: Information about International Noise Awareness Day can be found on the Internet at http://www.lhh.org/ noise/ inad.htm. Information on The Right to Quiet Society can be found on the home page http://www.islandnet.com/skook- um/q uiet/.
The article provides additional decibal readings: Common bench marks Pneumatic Drill--130 Crowd at Rockets game--110 Race car--100+ Open convertible on the Katy Freeway--90 Lawnmower--90+ Intersection of Texas and Louisiana at 5 p.m.--70+ Average conversation--60 Houston Public Library Main Branch--50 Soft whisper--30 Quietest sound heard by person with normal hearing--0
PUBLICATION: Flight International
DATE: April 30, 1997
BYLINE: David Learmount
DATELINE: Bogota, Columbia
Flight International reports that the Colombian Aeronautica Civil (civil-aviation authority) says the addition of a runway to the Eldorado International Airport in Bogota will reduce noise dramatically, even though the runway will increase air-transport movement capacity by 70%. The new runway, which will be parallel to the current runway, will allow approaches and departures to occur simultaneously over the open countryside to the northwest, instead of toward the city to the southeast, the article says. Officials say that this will ensure that few local residents will be affected by aircraft noise.
According to the article, planners in 1955 anticipated the eventual need for an additional runway when they set the airport perimeter. As a result, additional land did not have to be bought for the new runway. An environmental study was undertaken as part of the project, the article reports. The new runway will be accompaned by new sound barriers, a tree-planting program and an Aeronautica Civil policy to ban all except Stage 3 (quiet) aircraft by 2003. Both approaches and departures will be to the northwest most of the time, which should reduce the amount of low-flying traffic over the urban area by an estimated 70-80%, according to the Aeronautica Civil. Airlines will be fined if their flights do not follow the noise-abatement tracks or procedures, the article says.
The article goes on to say that after Colombia's domestic air-transport market was deregulated in 1990, domestic passenger traffic doubled to just over 6 million people, and international traffic increased 2 1/2 times to 1.7 million passengers (1996 figures), according to the Aeronautica Civil. In addition, cargo tonnages doubled. Also in 1990, Columbia made an open-skies agreement with Venezuela, and flights from Venezuela into Bogota increased from seven a week to seven a day, the article reports. Project manager Jaime Escobar Corradine says that the airport reached its technical capacity in 1993. Currently, there are long holding times and take-off delays on the one runway, with as many as 60 movements an hour during good-weather peak times. The Bogota airport handles about 65% of Columbia's total landings and take-offs, according to the Aeronautica Civil.
The article also reports that the companies that will carry out the work on the new runway are: Dragados y Construcciones of Spain, Ogden of the USA, and Conconcreto of Colombia. The work, which is estimated at $100.3 million, includes: a runway 3,800 meters long and 45 meters wide, a parallel taxiway 30 meters wide, three 90o exits and one high-speed exit, taxiways to connect the old and new runways, the installation of lighting, visual guidance equipment, radio-navigation aids and meteorological sensors, and the rerouting of 2,600 meters of the Bogota River. The project is under construction now, and is expected to be operational before its proposed September 1998 opening date, the article says.
PUBLICATION: Airports
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 14, No. 17; Pg. 165
DATELINE: Europe
The publication Airports reports that the European Commission last week adopted a proposal to create a new legislative framework for airport charges throughout the European Union. The proposal seeks to ensure that airport charges are cost-related, transparent, and do not discriminate between domestic and intra-EU air services. The proposal must now be agreed to by the Council of 15 EU Transport Ministers.
According to the article, the three principles of non-discrimination, cost-relatedness, and transparency are defined in a European Commission statement as follows:
Non-discrimination -- "Charging systems should not discriminate between domestic and intra-Community air services unless such a difference were related to the actual cost of the facilities and services provided."
Cost-relatedness -- "Cost-relatedness implies that airport charging systems set the level of airport charges in a reasonable relation to the cost of the facilities and services provided, allowing for a reasonable return on invested capital and the proper depreciation of assets as well as efficient management of capacity." In addition, the article says, cost-relatedness implies that users should not have to pay for facilities that they do not use or services from which they do not benefit.
Transparency -- The proposal calls for minimum requirements that inform users about the cost basis for the charges, the criteria for establishing the different types of airport charges, the description of the services and facilities covered by each type of charge, and the accounting data, relevant financial information, and the traffic volume of the airport.
The European Commission also said in its proposal that some charges, such as landing, parking, and passenger charges, could vary depending on environmental concerns. For example, the article reports, landing charges could vary to encourage the use of less polluting planes or to restrict nighttime flights due to noise concerns.
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1; ZONE: N
BYLINE: By Bob Kemper, Tribune Staff Writer.
DATELINE: Chicago, IL
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Mayor Richard Daley; Suburban O'Hare Commission
The Chicago Tribune reports that the complaints of suburban neighborhoods against O'Hare International Airport have culminated into an important political issue by suburban officials over the past two decades. Statewide political candidates have been supporting the fight against noise pollution since 1990, and Chicago and the airlines have been unsuccessful in their bid to build another runway.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has made unique efforts in negotiating with suburban mayors. This week a new noise protection "hush house" will be unveiled at the airport. This house is a maintenance facility that supposedly allows jet mechanics to rev the engines without disturbing the neighbors. Daley's aviation commissioner, Mary Rose Loney, states the city has no plans to build a new runway for four to five years.
Daley first talked with his suburban counterparts last year, when 624 residential buildings were soundproofed at a cost of $23,000 to $32,000 each with Daley's help. Daley agreed to spend more than $200 million to soundproof schools and homes and to monitor the airport's neighborhood noise. The most prominent anti-noise organization, the Suburban O'Hare Commission, demanded and received a fleet of technical vans equipped with radar and noise sensors.
The Chicago Tribune reports in 1995, Republicans gained control of both chambers of the General Assembly and tried to win control over O'Hare from the city. In 1990, Republican Governor Jim Edgar pledged he would not allow another runway to be built unless the suburbs agreed to it. He is currently pushing to have a third airport, wanted by the suburbs and opposed by the city, built to relieve the congestion of O'Hare.
Sheldon Wagner had 20 new windows, two new doors, and improved attic insulation installed in his Des Plaines home last year at the cost of the city under Daley's efforts.
PUBLICATION: The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.)
DATE: April 30, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 8A
BYLINE: Harvey Burgess
DATELINE: Charlotte, North Carolina
The Herald reports that the Charlotte (North Carolina) City Council this week approved an expansion plan for the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport that would add a fourth runway and extend an existing runway. The plans are expected to add overseas flights to the airport. Proponents of the expansion project, however, claim that noise problems likely will be less after the new runway is added due to noise reduction technology in aircraft and the city's ongoing noise abatement plan.
According to the article, the expansion plan calls for the purchase of 1,000 acres of land west of the airport for the purpose of building a 9,000-foot fourth runway, which could be in place by 2000 or sooner. In addition, an existing runway will be extended to 12,000 feet in length, which is expected to accommodate larger Boeing 747 jets used in overseas flights. Charlotte Aviation Director Jerry Orr said the expansion would promote the long-term use of Charlotte as a hub for major airways, and would encourage non-stop flights from Charlotte to Asia, South America and other locations, the article reports. The money to build the new runway, according to city officials, will come from federal grants and a possible $3 increase in boarding fees.
The article goes on to say that proponents of the airport expansion project believe neighborhood noise problems likely would be less when the new runway is added than they are now as a result of noise reduction technology in aircraft and the city's ongoing " noise abatement" plan.
PUBLICATION: New York Daily News
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: Suburban; Pg. 1
BYLINE: By BOB KAPPSTATTER Daily News Bronx Bureau Chief
DATELINE: New York, NY
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Bronx Campaign For Peace and Quiet, non-profit borough group
The New York Daily News reports the second International Noise Awareness Day will be honored at a town hall meeting. Bronx residents will have the chance to state their opinion about local noise pollution. The Bronx Campaign for Peace and Quiet, a non-profit borough group that campaigns against noise pollution, will be attending the meeting. The group promotes public awareness and supports enforcing noise ordinances. Also involved in the meeting are psychiatrists and city officials.
Last year the city created a quality-of-life hotline: 888-677-5433. According to John Dallas, president of the campaign, 55% of the hotlines complaints have included noise. The Bronx produced 13% of the calls, while Manhattan produced 34%.
For more information, call 212-802-4964.
PUBLICATION: New York Daily News
DATE: April 27, 1997
SECTION: Suburban; Pg. 1
BYLINE: By Austin Fenner
DATELINE: New York City, NY
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Joy Held (executive director of) Helicopter Noise Coalition of New York, grassroots organization
The New York Daily News reports community residents are disturbed daily by the increase of tourist, weather, commuter, television news, and law enforcement helicopter flight. The Helicopter Noise Coalition of New York hopes to create a helicopter "no fly" zone across the five boroughs, excepting emergency flights. The coalition aims to eliminate heliports from residential areas and to enforce regulation on the industry. Meanwhile there is a helicopter repair and storage operation at The Brooklyn Navy Yard proposed to be built and the Giuliani administration is supporting plans for a super heliport on Pier 76.
The article reports more than 155,000 helicopter took off and landed in New York City last year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The average number of flights per day is 400. The four main heliports are the Wall Street heliport, the West 30th Street heliport, the East 60th Street Metroport, and the 34th Street heliport.
The article states Joy Held, the coalition's executive director, points out that the helicoptors are dangerous in addition to being noisy. According to Held, the helicoptors are made of many moving parts that wear out. A corporate helicopter crashed into the East River earlier this month when a section of its tail broke off after take-off. One passenger was killed and three others were injured. When a helicopter flies below 1,000 feet, the pilot uses visual flight rules and not the aid of a control tower, which leaves the responsibility of keeping itself separate from other aircrafts up to the helicopter pilot.
The article reports some local politicians are lending their support for the coalition's cause. Mayor Guiliani promised a 30-40% reduction of helicopter flights in the city over the next four to five months. Representative Ed Towns (Brooklyn) and Councilman Ken Fisher (Brooklyn Heights) have created a task force to investigate helicopter statistics. Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden also admits a need for enforcing regulations, as his office has received a number of phone calls concerning helicoptors.
PUBLICATION: Singapore Straights Times
DATE: April 28, 1997
SECTION: News
DATELINE: London
Singapore Straights Times reports that according to the London Sunday Times, that scientists and researchers are utilizing the latest theories on sound waves to produce armchairs and beds that can quiet outside noise. Speakers are incorporated within the furniture to emit an opposing tone which neutralizes the outside noise. The speakers simultaneously play back mirror images of outside noises, canceling out the outside noises. This active sound control has been successfully used in cars, aircraft and ventilation fans.
The Internet edition of the London Sunday Times reports this method of sound control has been used by Lotus Engineering to quiet the noise of moving cars. Westland Helicoptors are testing how they may use active sound to quiet the gearbox of rotor blades. Engineers are experimenting with active noise panels, with the outer glass working as a microphone and the inner pane working as a loudspeaker.
PUBLICATION: Airports
DATE: April 29, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 14, No. 17; Pg. 167
DATELINE: Brussels, Belgium
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: European Center of Enterprises with Public Participation (CEEP)
The publication Airports reports that the European Center of Enterprises with Public Participation (CEEP), the union of public-owned enterprises in Brussels, Belgium, has said that the European Union should take a leading role in combating airport noise levels by issuing new rules on land-use planning for its 15 member states and tighter noise restrictions for aircraft. The CEEP's comments came in response to the European Commission's November 1996 "green paper" on noise pollution, the article says.
According to the article, the CEEP policy statement, titled The Limitation of the Impact of Noise from Aircraft, says, "It is extremely important to restrict in a controlled manner the use of land around airports in order to establish a common legal basis for the member states. Most main airports are having difficulties dealing with this issue in order to serve traffic growth. Similar problems will be suffered by other airports in the future."
The article goes on to say that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is trying to reach agreement on the next level of noise certification stringency for new aircraft models. However, the CEEP statement said this effort should not hold back the European Commission from adopting other measures on a European scale. For example, CEEP recommends measures that would reduce the impact of noisier aircraft. The CEEP statement also said that "pre-emptive Commission action seems to be the only way to defend noise reduction improvements against inadequate land use. Only a joint effort based on actions to reduce noise from its source and enforce uniform land-use schemes can give a meaningful answer to European airports' noise problems."
PUBLICATION: The Times-Picayune
DATE: May 3, 1997
SECTION: National; Pg. A1
BYLINE: Sheila Grissett
DATELINE: New Orleans and East Jefferson, Louisiana
The Times-Picayune reports that a project to widen Interstate 10 around New Orleans and East Jefferson, Louisiana would require concrete walls as high as 30 feet to muffle traffic noise, according to a recent study. This news has sent state highway officials scrambling to revise their plans and has delayed the work on the project, the article says.
According to the article, Frank Denton, secretary of the state Department of Transportation and Development, said the I-10 project has been postponed until he can reach agreement with the Federal Highway Administration on how to shield homes and businesses from highway noise. Work on the project was supposed to begin this summer or fall, but Denton said now he hopes work will be underway by the end of the year. Denton said that the preliminary designs for the project produced "some rather absurd criteria," but added that he was optimistic that he could reach agreement with federal officials within the next 30 to 60 days. Denton said he probably would have to make Congress aware of the problem if a compromise can't be reached, but he doesn't believe it will come to that, the article reports. William Sussman, the Federal Highway Administration's top official in Louisiana, said Friday that a "more careful design" might reduce the height and cost of the noise walls, but that the height and cost are likely to still be significant.
According to the article, the I-10 project is expected to cost $200 million and take more than three years. A national study showed that this stretch of the highway is one of the worst bottlenecks in the country. The project will add lanes in each direction and improve interchanges at I-610 and Williams Boulevard. Federal noise standards, as they currently stand, would result in $20 million worth of concrete noise walls, ranging from 7 to 30 feet high along both sides of the interstate at its noisiest spots. Denton said he doesn't think the public will accept a wall that high, and the state can't afford that price, the article reports. The recent noise impact study showed that most of the walls would be required to be 18 to 22 feet high, but a 30 foot wall would be needed on about 2,000 feet along the north side of the I-10 split at I-610. Sussman said most East Jefferson residents who attended public hearings on highway noise last year favored walls, but they didn't know what the height would be then.
Plans for parts of the project have been discussed for more than 20 years, the article says. Federal approval of noise barriers for the project is needed as a result of federal noise mitigation standards established a decade ago. But, Denton said, the federal standards have resulted in an unworkable situation on this project because of high housing density and proximity to the highway. Denton said he doesn't fault the regulations philosophically, but if they drive you "to a solution that is worse than the problem, then you've got to rethink it."
The decision on noise mitigation for this project is key, because the solution also will be used on all future projects that increase interstate capacity in Louisiana, the article says. As a result, state officials want a good solution for this project. Whatever compromise the state and federal authorities agree to will be explained in one or more public meetings this year, the article says.
PUBLICATION: The Daily Telegraph
DATE: May 1, 1997
SECTION: Pg. 31
BYLINE: A. H. Catto, resident
DATELINE: London, England area
The Daily Telegraph printed the following letter-to-the-editor from A.H. Catto regarding increasing noise from the Heathrow Airport in London:
To the editor:
I find extremely offensive City Comment's dismissive attitude towards residents' concern about the proposed fifth terminal at Heathrow, based on an assumption that they have not lived long in the area (April 26). You do not have to have lived in the area 36 years, as I have, to appreciate that it is comparatively recently that noise is getting worse. Night flights are creeping later and later to say nothing of local air pollution and environmental damage from increased traffic.
I find your correlation of local house prices and the proximity of London Airport particularly amusing. Given that even if I had moved into the area a year ago and was to forfeit any right to consideration of my opinions about existing affairs at London Airport, I would have had no prior knowledge of a fifth terminal, and might well have decided to live elsewhere.
I have always believed in free enterprise and the rewards for initiative and have used my vote accordingly over the years. I find your attitude a mixture of specious reasoning allied to an arrogant assumption that people's democratic rights are somehow invalid should they interfere with the interests of big business; in other words, totally unacceptable. A. H. Catto, Teddington, Middx
PUBLICATION: The Daily Yomiuri
DATE: May 1, 1997
SECTION: Pg. 3
DATELINE: Osaka, Japan
The Daily Yomiuri reports that the operators of two railway lines connecting downtown Osaka, Japan and the Kansai International Airport have agreed to introduce noise-reduction measures this year, in response to complaints about increased noise.
The article reports that after the Kansai International Airport opened in September 1994, noise from the rail lines increased threefold because express services were introduced to accommodate increasing numbers of airplane passengers. Residents living near the rail lines complained, the article says. Research conducted last May showed that noise made by the new express trains averaged 86 decibels, about the same level registered by subway trains, the article reports. In response to the problem, the two rail line companies, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) and Nankai Electric Railway Co., in an agreement with the Osaka prefectural government and the Transport Ministry, will undertake a series of measures to decrease the noise. Nankai will build fences to reduce noise along a three-kilometer stretch of the line over the next three years. In addition, rubber-coated ties will be laid along two kilometers of the JR tracks and 0.4 kilometers of the Nankai tracks. Finally, twenty kilometers of rails on the Nankai tracks and eight kilometers on JR tracks will be smoothed down, the article reports. The Osaka prefectural government believes these measures will noise levels by up to 10 decibels, and will test the noise levels in the area next year to determine the effectiveness of the measures.
The measures still need to be approved May 7 by a committee of representatives from the railway companies, the Osaka prefectural government, the Transport Ministry, and local municipalities, the article says. Some municipal governments had previously requested that the maximum speed of trains be reduced. However, the article reports, the railway companies claim reducing the speeds would have little impact on noise levels and would cause a disruption of their services. The rail companies estimated that a 20 kph reduction in speed would reduce noise levels only three decibels. But the companies have said they will continue discussions on the feasibility of speed reduction, the article says.
PUBLICATION: Sacramento Bee
DATE: May 1, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Deb Kollars
DATELINE: Sacramento, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Doug Bryceson, River Park resident and head of the Neighborhood Preservation
Fund
The Sacramento Bee reports that the city of Sacramento (California) and the amphitheater Cal Expo have reached a tentative settlement in their dispute over concert noise problems at the amphitheater. Under the settlement, the city has agreed to drop its lawsuit against Cal Expo and allow later nighttime curfews than it set for concerts last year, while Cal Expo has agreed to accept curfews that are earlier than it would prefer and monetary penalties when the curfews are violated.
According to the article, the tentative settlement establishes that concerts will end at 10:30 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays during the concert season, from May through October. Concerts could run till 11 p.m. on weeknights during the concert season if noise levels are significantly reduced, the article reports. Operators and performers also would be fined $2,500 for the first 10 minutes of a curfew violation and $5,000 for every 10 minutes thereafter, and the operator would not be allowed to stage events after three violations. Curfews adopted by the city council last November and supported by many local residents, required concerts to end by 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and by 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The article says that the compromise is a disappointment to many residents in the area, according to Doug Bryceson, a River Park resident and head of the Neighborhood Preservation Fund, a coalition of several groups concerned about noise. Bryceson said the residents supported the previous curfews set by the city, and now believe the city is caving to pressure.
However, city councilors and Cal Expo officials expressed satisfaction with the compromise. Councilor Steve Cohn, who represents neighborhoods near Cal Expo, said, "It's a fair settlement." Lezlie Puglia, assistant general manager for marketing/media relations at Cal Expo, said they would prefer later curfews, but are glad that they are not adversaries with the city anymore. Meanwhile, there are still some outstanding issues to resolve, but both the City Council and Cal Expo's board have given preliminary approval to the proposal.
According to the article, the city has been fighting for years with Cal Expo over noise from concerts. Last year, Cal Expo held an especially loud concert at the same time they announced plans to build a bigger amphitheater. This turn of events caused the dispute to escalate to the point that the city imposed tougher nighttime curfews and then sued Cal Expo, the article reports. The city's suit alleged that Cal Expo's environmental impact report for the new amphitheater was deficient.
Cal Expo, which is a state agency, does not legally have to follow the city's strict curfews, the article reports. However, the current operator at the amphitheater plans to abide by the stricter curfews imposed by the council in November during the upcoming concert season, according to Puglia. Councilor Cohn said that although the city would have had a hard time winning the lawsuit, he believes the lawsuit helped the city in its bargaining power with Cal Expo. For instance, he said, under the agreement, city staff and residents will be involved in the future in monitoring sound levels at concerts.
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: May 2, 1997
SECTION: Metro Northwest; Pg. 1; Zone: NW
BYLINE: Jon Hilkevitch
DATELINE: Chicago, Illinois area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: John Cermak, Park Ridge resident and member of the Alliance of Residents
Concerning O'Hare (ARCO); Joe Karaganis, attorney for the Suburban O'Hare Commission
The Chicago Tribune reports that in order to mitigate noise from nighttime aircraft engine maintenance tests at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, a "hush house," or a Ground Run-Up Enclosure, has been built to muffle the noise at the north end of the airport. The enclosure is the first one built at a commercial airport in the U.S.
According to the article, about 700 engine maintenance tests, or ground run-ups, are performed each year at O'Hare. The tests occur between midnight and 5 a.m., and require the jet engines to operate at full power for up to 45 minutes. The tests have long disturbed the sleep of residents in Rosemont, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Bensenville, and other towns, depending on wind direction. The "hush house," a $2.1 million project designed to mitigate this noise, is a large, three-sided enclosure made of heavy-gauge galvanized steel, and outfitted with noise-absorbing acoustical panels. The hush house will cut noise from the aircraft undergoing tests by 25%, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation, the article reports. For example, an older jet such as the Boeing 727 emits noise of about 95 decibels to the nearest houses, according to Ted Woosley, a consultant with Landrum & Brown which helped test the hush house. During tests, however, the hush house reduced the noise level to 70 to 75 decibels. Newer jets emit about 80 decibels to the nearest homes, and the hush house will diminish their noise level to about 60 decibels, Woosley said. (By comparison, a well-tuned automobile creates about 70 decibels of noise, the article reports.) The hush house was financed with Chicago's $3 passenger facility tax.
The article goes on to say that John Cermak, a Park Ridge resident and member of the Alliance of Residents Concerning O'Hare (ARCO), says the noise from the ground run-ups is akin to the noise at a military installation. He added that the noise problem has diminished somewhat in recent weeks during testing of the hush house, but said there are other citizen complaints that remain unresolved, the article reports.
Meanwhile, Chicago's aviation commissioner Mary Rose Loney said the hush house and the work of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission show that they are serious about reducing jet noise. The city also has committed more than $200 million for sound-proofing homes and schools, monitoring airliner noise levels, and undertaking a "fly quiet" campaign targeted at airlines and pilots.
However, some local municipalities remain skeptical about the city's dedication to the problem, the article reports. The city of Bensenville filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court, claiming that Chicago aviation officials have been unfair in the allocation of sound-proofing monies. Aviation officials has said they would sound-proof 4,500 homes in about a dozen communities last year. Just 125 homes were sound-proofed in Bensenville last year, and the lawsuit alleges that none are scheduled to be sound-proofed this year. Bensenville officials, along with officials from other towns such as Elk Grove Village and Park Ridge, believe that the hush house will have little impact on their noise problems.
The Suburban O'Hare Commission, however, a group that has battled the city in the courts over noise for years, gave its qualified approval Thursday. Joe Karaganis, attorney for the Suburban O'Hare Commission, said, "If the hush house works as it should, it'll be a major benefit to surrounding communities. But the devil is in the details."
The article also reports that the hush house operation will be formally unveiled on Friday at a public meeting of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission at 8 a.m. at the Rosemont Convention Center, 9301 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont.
PUBLICATION: Medical Update
DATE: May 1997
SECTION: No. 11, Vol. 20; Pg. 4; ISSN: 0732-0183
BYLINE: Edwin Brown
The publication Medical Update reports that hearing loss is the third highest health complaint from older adults, arthritis and high blood pressure. The article says that we all succumb to presbycusis (literally "old hearing") sooner or later, and it will be sooner if we allow ourselves to be exposed to excessive noise. Every day about 20 million people are unnecessarily exposed to excessive sound levels that can damage our hearing, the article says.
According to the article, the first sign of "old hearing" is a decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds, such as the voices of women and children, or a warbler's song. In addition, it becomes difficult to distinguish certain sounds in language, such as distinguishing "s" from "f," "sh" from "ch," etc. Background sounds also can interfere with the ability to hear conversations, and other sounds may seem unusually loud. People with "old hearing" may also experience continual ringing or hissing sounds, known as tinnitus. Once a person reaches the "old hearing" stage, the article reports, the only solution is a hearing aid.
The article says you can recognize potentially harmful noises in the following ways. If you have to shout to be heard above a noise, it's potentially harmful. If your ears ring or you can't hear as well for several hours after exposure to a sound, it's a hazard. The longer the exposure to a harmful sound is, the article says, the greater the chance of permanent damage.
According to the article, the best way to preserve hearing is to avoid high-decibel sounds. If work or a hobby forces you to be exposed, the article advises wearing protective devices. Earplugs may work if they block the ear canal completely, but the best devices are those that enclose the entire outer ear, such as those worn by ground workers near jet airplanes. The article concludes that children need to be educated about the dangers of excessive noise, including loud music.
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