PUBLICATION: The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
DATE: September 29, 1997
SECTION: Local/Region, Pg. B1
BYLINE: Martin Pflieger
DATELINE: Schoenersville, Pennsylvania
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Dottie Breisch, Jeff Tozzi, Carol Aranyos, Harold Kingcaid, residents
The Morning Call reports that airport officials at the Lehigh Valley International Airport recently received a $3 million federal grant to re-locate the residents of 52 homes in the Williamson Mobile Home Court in Schoenersville, Pennsylvania. But homeowners are upset by the decision, the article says -- some because they learned about the airport's plans in the newspaper, and others because they don't want to move.
The article reports that according to Lawrence Krauter, director of facilities and planning for the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, airport officials' plans for notifying mobile home park residents about the re-location were pre-empted when the office of U.S. Representative Paul McHale (D-15th District) sent out a news release announcing the $3 million grant. Krauter said before airport officials announced their plans, they wanted to first notify the Federal Aviation Administration and hire real estate appraisers and relocation specialists. He said, "Normally we have all of that in place before we move forward with public involvement." However, the article notes, as of Thursday, seven weeks after residents learned through the newspaper of the airport's plans, only a handful of residents had received correspondence from the airport. But on Friday, the article says, one day after airport officials were interviewed for this story, packets of information were hand-delivered to all the park's homes, according to resident Jeff Tozzi.
The article goes on to say that airport officials have wanted to move homes and businesses in Schoenersville out of the runway's flight path dates since the early 1980s, but no money has been available before now. The FAA recommends that the end of runway be clear of roads, businesses, and residences for safety reasons. The article notes that the airport authority has already purchased the J. Fegely and Sons property on Schoenersville Road, and is negotiating to buy Piechota Auto Body on Airport Road and Feast-A-Pizza on Schoenersville Road, according to Krauter. He added that airport officials will begin to look for federal funds to purchase the single-family homes next to the Williamson Mobile Home Court after the mobile home park acquisition.
Meanwhile, residents said a relocation specialist already has contacted a few residents to discuss moving, the article says. Early next year, according to Krauter, appraisers will begin to determine the market value of the homes before the airport makes offers to buy them. He said, "No one should be concerned about being disrupted during the holidays. We work around holidays and the school year. We'll start in the spring of 1998 to get in touch with individual residents. I'd like to see the program finished within 24 months. If we can move faster than that, we'll certainly try to do that." Krauter also explained that the airport must negotiate the purchase of the land with the mobile home park owners before making offers on the homes. The Williamson family, who has owned the mobile home park for 25 years, is not happy about the airport's plans, but declined to comment for the article. Krauter added that a public hearing on the issue isn't required or necessary.
The residents of the mobile home park fall into three categories, the article says: those who don't object to moving, those who have no preference, and those who want to stay. Dottie Breisch, who has lived in the mobile home park for 37 years, said, "I already told the airport in a letter that I'm not leaving. This is my home. I'm not going to go when someone tells me to go. I'll go when I want to go." Another resident, Jeff Tozzi, is circulating a petition demanding the airport stop its plans until it justifies them at a public hearing. Tozzi said he is not entirely opposed to moving, but he believes the airport at the least has a public relations problem. "It's the principle of the thing," he said. "It's the way they did it. They're arrogant and non-communicative. Why did we have to read it in the paper? Nobody knows what's going on." Breisch said one of her neighbors, an 86-year-old native of Italy who speaks little English, immediately began packing her belongings when she learned of the airport's plans. She had to be convinced she did not have to leave right away, Breisch said. Resident Carol Aranyos said, "When I moved here I thought it was the last place I'd ever have to move to. It's kind of inconvenient. The area is nice. The people here are nice. I guess it's the price of progress." Another resident, Harold Kingcaid, said he moved to the area six years ago and was planning to retire there. He said, "We were going to spend the rest of our days here. I don't know where we'd go. I thought this would be it."
Krauter, however, said residents could end up with better living arrangements, the article reports. He said, "The law requires us to provide comparable, decent, safe and sanitary housing. Often times people are able to upgrade into better forms of housing than they presently have. That's really something that's difficult to convince them of, that they will be better off. But, in the end, they usually feel that they have been treated fairly." Krauter added that the airport authority doesn't make land use decisions based on whether people complain about airport noise. "This is a land-use decision," he said. "That is the entire purpose; to achieve land-use compatibility. We don't use complaints as a basis for noise mitigation."
PUBLICATION: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: News Pg. 4
BYLINE: Jim Stingl
DATELINE: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Jerry Kleczka, U.S. Congress member from Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the federal government has restored $2 million that had been cut from funds to soundproof homes surrounding the Mitchell International Airport outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The grant was announced last week by Milwaukee Congress member Jerry Kleczka, who helped restore the funding. The article reports the money will be enough to soundproof 96 homes (60 in Milwaukee, 15 in Oak Creek, 11 in St. Francis, and 10 in Cudahy). Additional homes likely will be soundproofed with state and airport funds, according to Airport Director Barry Bateman.
The article says the soundproofing effort is part of a 10-year project to mitigate jet noise in about 1,600 homes. The soundproofing usually involves installing new windows, insulation, and furnaces. The program, called the Homeowners Protection Plan, was launched in 1995 to reduce noise levels in homes around the airport.
The article points out that federal funds for soundproofing are awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration, and airports must compete for them, according to Kleczka. Earlier this year, it appeared likely that the soundproofing program would lose $3.4 million in federal and state aid, and dozens of homeowners called the airport, worried that they would not get the soundproofing improvements they were promised. But Bateman said then that he was optimistic that part or all of the funding would be restored. Saturday, Bateman said, "This is the (federal) funding we had hoped to get. This continues the program as was envisioned." Kleczka said the restored funding would help people who "had to endure airport noise that rattles their nerves and shakes their homes."
PUBLICATION: Weekend Sunday (NPR)
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: Business
BYLINE: James Pestell; Michael Goldfarb
DATELINE: London, England
Weekend Sunday (NPR) reports in a radio broadcast that BBC Radio in London is distributing cough drops in quiet wrappers to audience members at its live classical music radio broadcasts, in an attempt to cut down on the background noise during the concerts. The broadcast goes on to interview James Pestell, the head of marketing for BBC Radio 3, the country's classical music station from the BBC.
According to the broadcast, James Pestell said the BBC came up with a wax-paper wrapper for cough drops on which it prints the Radio 3 logo. Although the quiet wrappers have been in use for awhile, according to Pestell, this is the first time they have been used for a cough drop and for achieving a silent atmosphere within a concert hall. He said BBC workers have measured the noise level of one of the new cough drop wrappers compared to that of a standard, cellophane cough drop wrapper, and "it's well under half the volume." It's almost "noiseless," Pestell added. He also said the idea of free, quiet cough drop wrappers has taken off like wildfire, and audience members often take a handful of the cough drops home to their friends and relatives.
Pestell also explains that many noises are disturbing at a classical music concert, according to the NPR broadcast. For example, extraneous noises including digital watches, personal organizers, pages, and cell phones can be very bothersome during quiet moments of a concert.
PUBLICATION: The Plain Dealer
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: Metro / Northeast Ohio; Pg. 6B
BYLINE: Olivera Perkins
DATELINE: Cleveland, Ohio
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: David Courey, resident
The Plain Dealer reports that the Cleveland (Ohio) police fined two employees of the construction company building the Jennings Freeway for making too much noise late Friday night. The police's action came after residents living near the construction project complained about the late-night noise.
According to the article, the workers were a power saw operator and a truck driver for the Great Lakes Construction Co. who were working on the freeway that will connect I-71 and I-480. According to the city's Safety Director, William Denihan, the employees were cited because the ordinance does not allow the city to fine the company.
The article goes on to say that residents living near Schaaf Rd. and W. 11th St. were angry that construction noises, including saws cutting concrete, were continuing long past midnight. When residents complained to police, they were told nothing could be done because the construction company has 24-hour work permits. However, police later reconsidered after a number of residents complained. Denihan visited the area late Friday night to experience the noise for himself. "I went there because of the number of calls we had received," he said. "I wanted to see firsthand the extent of the problem." Denihan said the construction site was noisy, but a number of factors determined whether the noise was disturbing to specific residents, including the distance a house was from the site and whether it was buffered by trees. He added that police intend to continue their crackdown on the company.
One resident who complained, David Courey, was happy the construction workers were cited, but said he was worried that the construction company would simply absorb the $100 fines and continue working till the early hours of the morning. "Citing them is a great start, but our objective is to get this late-night noise stopped," he said.
PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. A04
BYLINE: David Gibson
DATELINE: Teterboro, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Corinne Wehrle, Little Ferry resident; John Parker, Moonachie resident; Paul Griffo, Rutherford resident; Frederick Dressel, Moonachie Mayor
The Record reports that about 50 southern Bergen County (New Jersey) residents held a protest against jet noise at the entrance to the Teterboro Airport Saturday afternoon, because of a report that Governor Christie Whitman was coming to dedicate the newly renovated New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum. However, the governor never showed up, angering protesters even more, the article says. According to Whitman's re-election campaign manager, Tom Wilson, a stop in Teterboro "was never on our schedule."
According to the article, local residents carried signs, shouted slogans, and were angry. Corinne Wehrle, a resident of Little Ferry, said, "It's unfair, it's unjust that we don't have a say. We the people need a say. We need politicians who represent the people, not just corporate America." John Parker, a Moonachie resident, said his sign summed up his feelings: "Would It Be OK If I Ran My Leaf Blower All Night Under Your Window?" He added: "Take that to Christie Whitman."
Protesters didn't buy the statement that Whitman never intended to come, the article reports. Moonachie Mayor Frederick Dressel said, "It was obvious she knew we were going to be here. The people deserve to see the governor, to have her see first-hand why they are upset. If she had spent 30 seconds here, she could have seen it, and the people would have understood." The article notes that Dressel is a Democrat who is on his party's slate for the 38th District Assembly seat.
The article goes on to say that there has been growing anger among residents about the increasing traffic at the small airport, and about recent reports that takeoffs and landings soon could jump by another 14,000 a year, up from the current rate of 160,000. Residents were further infuriated when airport officials called the potential increase "a drop in the bucket." The airport is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and is operated by a private company, the article explains. Resident Paul Griffo of Rutherford explained the importance of having the governor investigate the problem, saying, "We've got to get the governor to come here. The only people who can deal with the Port Authority are our governor and New York Governor George Pataki."
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: Commentary; Pg. 20; Zone: C; Voice of the people (letter)
BYLINE: Ronald Wietecha, Mayor of Park Ridge
DATELINE: Park Ridge, Illinois
The Chicago Tribune printed the following letter-to-the-editor from Ronald Wietecha, Mayor of Park Ridge, Illinois, regarding noise from the O'Hare International Airport. Wietecha argues that the city of Chicago is not listening to the complaints of Park Ridge residents who have been fighting jet noise for 20 years.
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." These are the words spoken by a prison boss to Paul Newman in the motion picture "Cool Hand Luke" just before he is beaten and placed in solitary confinement. Don't you sometimes feel that when the issue is noise and air pollution from O'Hare International Airport that "what we've got here is a failure to communicate"?
Chicago recently asked anyone with complaints about noise from O'Hare to call its new noise hotlines. That is exactly what Park Ridge residents did every time they heard a noisy airplane either in the air or on the ground. Now we are told by Mary Rose Loney, commissioner of aviation for the City of Chicago, in conjunction with Chicago's O'Hare Noise Compatability Commission, that the complaints of Park Ridge residents are somehow faulty, meaningless and need to be factored out of all reports.
Apparently, she cannot accept at face value that the residents of Park Ridge have a problem. It's a simple one: the world's busiest airport produces the world's loudest noise and is the state's fifth highest polluter of the air we breathe. For the last two months, more than 130 Park Ridge residents registered more than 400 complaints about airplanes that were too loud, too low and interfering with their quality of life and the use of their property. Their complaints are to be factored out because, according to Chicago, there has been no increase in air traffic over Park Ridge.
For more than 20 years, the City of Chicago has been unwilling to admit that Park Ridge has an environmental problem caused by O'Hare. Chicago has relied on computer-generated contour maps of noise that indicate that Park Ridge has no noise. As a result, we cannot qualify for soundproofing monies for our residential property. We have not yet had any noise monitor installed, even though an agreement for that installation was reached early last spring. Honoring these and other commitments would place in jeopardy the Chicago position that Park Ridge has no noise.
Moving noise does not eliminate it. If the planes are not flying over Park Ridge, they're flying over somewhere else. But we do have noise --not just during the "Fly Quiet" time that Chicago is trying to create, but all day long. Park Ridge is a residential community with no industrial parks over which planes can fly without affecting people's lives.
No amount of denial, no matter how repetitive, will convince Park Ridge residents that we are not bearing more of the burden from Chicago's "economic engine" than we should. We cannot deny what we know and hear and experience. We believe that more planes are flying over Park Ridge than ever before, and they seem to be noisier. Homes that previously had no traffic overhead are experiencing landings and takeoffs.
Park Ridge does not collect any of the taxes or the profits from the operations at O'Hare. What we do collect are the problems: the noise, air pollution and potential threat of an air tragedy. For 20 years we have simply been fighting for the peace and quiet of our homes and neighborhoods, but what we've got here, even after more than 400 complaints by our residents, is a failure to communicate.
PUBLICATION: Times Newspapers Limited
DATE: September 30, 1997
SECTION: Features
DATELINE: Great Britain
The Times Newspapers Limited reports that more than 60 years ago, there was a growing feeling that action needed to be taken to reduce noise in Great Britain. The article says there were several letters written to The Times regarding noise, including the following two. The first letter announces the formation of the Anti-Noise League, formed by a group of public figures, including the physician Lord Horder.
To the Editor of the Times:
The need for immediate action in order to mitigate the noise evil, especially unnecessary motor-hooting in residential areas, has been so clearly demonstrated by numerous correspondents in your columns and in your leading articles that we are encouraged to hope that the organization whose formation we beg to announce will have the full support of The Times.
Briefly, we aim at enlisting, with the least possible delay, such a force of public opinion as will induce the authorities to regulate by law certain forms of noise which are manifestly injurious to the comfort, health and repose of the community at large, as well as being damaging to efficiency and to the amenities of numerous urban localities.
We therefore invite all who suffer from the infliction of unnecessary noise to communicate with the honorary secretary, Anti-Noise League, 9 Weymouth Street, W1. The membership fee for ordinary members is merely nominal (half a crown per annum), our object being to obtain the largest possible number of adherents prepared to join us in such action as may be decided upon.
We are, Sir, your obedient servants,
Horder, Riddell, Buckmaster, George Hill, Dan Mackenzie, James Purves-Stewart, William Rothenstein, Beckles Willson
To the Editor of the Times:
At the meetings of the British Association in 1932 at York, and recently at Leicester, valuable papers were read describing the progress which has been made in the reduction of noise, especially in connection with aircraft. It was felt that if these principles were applied to the more general problems much could be done to reduce the discomfort and annoyance which has been so often referred to in the Press.
The Association decided to set up a committee to consider the noises which it is most important to reduce and to collect the information available for this purpose. As chairman of this committee I should like to invite considered opinions from the public as to the noises which cause the most discomfort and inconvenience. The committee could then select those subjects which appear to be of greatest importance and collect and review the knowledge at present available.
It will in most instances be possible to indicate the amount of improvement likely to be effected without serious loss of efficiency. If at a later stage money or practical assistance from manufacturers became available to give practical effect to the Committee's recommendations it may be possible to arrange a practical demonstration at the meeting of the British Association next year.
Yours faithfully,
Henry Fowler
PUBLICATION: Anchorage Daily News
DATE: September 28, 1997
SECTION: Metro, Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Steve Rinehart
DATELINE: Anchorage, Alaska
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Kate Worthington, president, Alaska Quiet Rights Coalition; Elizabeth Hatton, Coalition member; Tom Meacham, natural-resources attorney
The Anchorage Daily News reports that a new group has formed in Alaska to promote the right to quiet in the state's outdoors. The group is called the Alaska Quiet Rights Coalition, and members say they have signed up hundreds of supporters across the state during the past year. An event planned by the group, Alaska Quiet Rights Day, will be held today and will be mainly a public information meeting.
According to the article, coalition president Kate Worthington said the group's agenda is to make "quiet" part of the discussion when decision-makers rule on snow-machine and ATV access to public lands, ski craft access to public lakes, back-country helicopter tours, and airboats on winding streams. Worthington said the group is "fundamentally light-hearted," and has leaders that include representatives from Juneau to Fairbanks.
Worthington got interested in quiet rights last year, the article says, when the decision was made to build a snow-machine trail up Little Peters Creek to Ptarmigan Valley by Chugach State Park. She said snow-machiners gained a place to ride, but hikers, skiers, and her in-laws in a nearby subdivision lost a quiet valley on the edge of town. Coalition member Elizabeth Hatton said, "We are not trying to abolish anyone's form of recreation. Alaska is huge, plenty of room for everyone. We simply think there should be some areas in our public lands where people can go for quiet recreation." Hatton said the coalition is her first foray into grass-roots politics. She said she owns a cabin in the Susitna Valley, near Denali State Park, in an area so popular with snow-machiners that it's no longer a peaceful or pleasant place to go. Hatton insisted she's no purist, and realizes that everyone needs and uses machines. But natural quiet, she said, is a natural resource worth protecting. "We think a very basic right we all have is to connect with the natural environment. Quiet is part of that," Hatton said.
The article goes on to say that the coalition members believe they represent what has been mostly a silent majority. To gauge their level of support, they have scheduled an event, the Alaska Quiet Rights Day, to be held today. Hatton said people won't have to sign up, but they will be asked to circle their favorite quiet areas on a map.
Tom Meacham, a natural-resources attorney, said the state Legislature deserves much of the credit for creating a quiet rights movement, according to the article. The Legislature passed a pair of bills last year that reinforced Alaskans' rights to continue what it called "traditional access" to state lands, including nearly any motorized conveyance people were in the habit of using. Meacham said, "We saw how easily a minority position become the law of the land." He believe that because a minority of people own and use snow-machines, ATVs, and other off-road vehicles, they represent a minority position. The coalition wants to make sure legislators know there are also Alaskans who seek reflection, rumination, contemplation, or peace of mind in the outdoors, he said. Meacham added, "It's getting harder to find. It's like one of those things you are not aware you have lost until it is gone."
The meeting of the Alaska Quiet Rights Coalition will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. today at the Campbell Creek Science Center near Bureau of Land Management headquarters, the article notes. The entrance is near East 68th Avenue and Abbott Loop Road.
PUBLICATION: International Market Insight Trade Inquiries
DATE: September 30, 1997
SECTION: Business
DATELINE: Paris, France
International Market Insight Trade Inquiries reports that the French Ministry of Transport announced on September 23 that it plans to proceed with the addition of two new runways at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Anti-noise standards will accompany the project, the article says.
According to the article, the proposed project already has faced many environmental and fiscal concerns. The article says that in order to reduce some of the opposition against the project, new anti-noise standards will be put in place. The new standards will force some flights to re-route over less populated areas, will impose stiff penalties for excessive noise emissions, and will limit night flights of noisier planes. Plans for a fifth runway seem to be abandoned, the article notes. In addition, the ceiling for passenger traffic at the airport has been set for 55 million passengers, compared to 32 million currently. Plans are for the two new runways to be reserved for landings and to be shorter than the current two runways. The project is expected to cost 1.5 billion francs (US$ 250 million), and runways are expected to be completed by early 1999 and the end of 2000.
The article also explains that the decision to go forward with this project appears to signal the end of the Beauvilliers project, which was to serve as the Paris region's third international airport. The government also said that Le Bourget Airport, just north of Paris, will continue to be specialized in business aviation.
For more information on the expansion project, contact: Mr. Cleret, Director, Aeroports de Paris Direction de l'Equipement; Tel: 33-1 43 35 70 00; Fax: 33-143 35 72 55; or Cara Boulesteix, at the Commercial Service in the Paris Embassy; Tel: 33-1 43 12 22 79; Fax: 33-1 43 12 21 72.
PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas)
DATE: September 30, 1997
SECTION: Business; Pg. 1D
BYLINE: Jane Seaberry
DATELINE: Dallas, Texas
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Veletta Lill, City Council member; Joyce Lockley, vice president of the North Park Love Field Civic League
The Dallas Morning News of Dallas, Texas, reports that while some favor the repeal of the Wright Amendment as a way to revitalize the economy of areas surrounding Love Field, others oppose the repeal of the Wright Amendment based on noise and safety concerns. Proponents use the recent revitalization of Midway Airport in Chicago as an example of what Dallas Love Field could be. Opponents say the Wright Amendment has little to do with area's economy.
The article reports that Midway and Love Field share many of the same attributes and problems. They both stand second to two of the world's busiest airports. They are located in inner-city neighborhoods ranging from middle-income to poor. Crime is evident. Once leading transportation centers, business diminished when the jet age arrived. But there the similarities end. While Midway is growing on Chicago's southwest side, Love Field's development power is not being realized.
According to the article some supporters of Love Field's growth blame the Wright amendment, the federal law that restricts flights from the airport to destinations within Texas and its four neighboring states, for having killed any hope of the airport's rebounding - and of the Love Field area's economy ever taking off. Wright amendment opponents argue that limiting the cities that can be served from Love Field prevents the airport from building the kind of air service needed to attract development. While Midway provides daily nonstop service to destinations such as New York, Denver, San Francisco, Miami and Washington, DC, Love offers Little Rock, Ark.; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; and most large Texas cities. Economists say hour-long flights from Lubbock or Austin that permit passengers to fly home the same day don't generate hotel, office and other airport-related development. On the other side of the argument are those who say the Wright amendment has nothing to do with the Love Field area's problems. Its repeal, once again the subject of heated debate, would have no effect, they argue. "I know there are people who believe if we lift the Wright amendment, all types of things will happen," said Veletta Lill, City Council member for much of the Love Field area. "I'm not sure that's the case."
The article reports Midway may provide a clue to how "opening up" Love Field would affect the local economy. Other than the Wright amendment, the two airports were once nearly twins. "It hasn't been real fast development, but it's been real steady, though," notes Troy Deckert of the Cook County Office of Economic Development, which, along with the city, oversees the airport." During the 1990s, the city of Chicago launched a $722 million Midway expansion program, rebuilding passenger terminals and adding gates. Recently, an elevated train - part of Chicago's public transit system - was built, connecting the airport to downtown. Retail establishments are slowly growing along South Cicero between Midway and the Ford City mall - a converted Ford plant - 10 blocks away. Four chain hotels and motels have been built in the last two years. And although much decay remains, officials are hopeful the economic renewal isn't over. "If Midway's capacity to handle passengers continues to grow, you may see additional hotels in the area," Mr. Deckert said. And that would add to an economic impact already forecast to grow to 93,900 jobs and $ 3.6 billion in payroll by 2010, city officials said.
According to the article, Love Field's origins were similar to Midway's, even if its recent past hasn't been. Love was the major airport for Dallas until Dallas/Fort Worth International opened in 1974. All major airlines left Love Field for D/FW, except Southwest. Business owners know of no organized business group in the area, and some neighborhood leaders said they have been complaining to City Hall about crime, building code violations at dilapidated residences and other problems for years. "We have a block of land a broker was trying to negotiate on in the last month, and we were told the total deal for one of the clients was about $ 13 million," said Joyce Lockley, vice president of the North Park Love Field Civic League. "It didn't go through because we have not been able to eradicate the drug users and criminal activity near the airport and to get programs that would allow code enforcement compliance to occur." Despite the economic arguments offered by Wright amendment foes, some residents oppose any change that would increase airport traffic and noise. "You have noise; you have pollution. When you go out, you can smell it," said Ms. Lockley, the civic leader, who added that she and fellow neighbors will fight any attempts to repeal the amendment. "You have the safety issue. You have traffic gridlock." Noise problems are similar in Chicago, where the city had to scrap a plan to soundproof hundreds of homes around Midway. After the first 10 houses were soundproofed to appease residents, at a cost of $ 50,000 each - more than the cost of many homes - the program had to be modified, Mr. Feeley said. But, those favoring more flights argue that new federal regulations will require quieter jets soon.
The article notes the current economic boosts in the Love Field area. Southwest Airlines has poured millions into the area, building a corporate headquarters and a major maintenance base at Love Field. A body shop is schedule to soon and Sewell Motors has acquired land for a Lexus used-car dealership. Chip Besio, Sewell's marketing director, said the dealership chose the area to be close to its customers in the Park Cities and North Dallas. A run-down hotel is being torn down and will be replaced by a hotel that owners hope to sell to a major chain, especially if the Wright amendment is repealed. The city of Dallas has commissioned study after study of the area in the last 10 years. According to Ms. Lill, the most recent development is the ongoing improvement of the streets leading into the airport. "With improved infrastructure, that may attract some more development," she said.
The article cites a report compiled earlier this year on the Love Field area by Dr. Bernard Weinstein, an economist at the University of North Texas. Dr. Weinstein said that allowing Legend Airlines to launch service from Love could bring 97 jobs and almost $ 8 million in economic benefits to the Dallas economy in the first year. By 2005, that contribution could increase to $ 484 million and 6,000 jobs annually if Legend continues to grow, according to the report, which was done for the airline. In Dallas, repeal of the Wright amendment could bring increased growth, but "it won't change the course of history," Dr. Weinstein said. "I don't think any hotel developers are going to rush in there the day after the amendment was repealed," Dr. Weinstein said. Legend Airlines is already trying to win the right to fly long distances from Love Field by using large jets modified to have no more than 56 seats. Congress is debating whether that strategy meets the technical requirements of the Wright amendment.
PUBLICATION: The Daily News of Los Angeles
DATE: October 4, 1997
SECTION: News, Pg. N3
BYLINE: Rick Orlov
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Cindy Miscikowski, City Councillor
The Daily News of Los Angeles reports that several local gardener associations and one of the nation's largest makers of leaf blowers, Echo Inc., are suing the city of Los Angeles over its ban on gas-powered blowers. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and argues that if a ban is set on leaf blowers because of their noise, the ban also should apply to lawn mowers and weed trimmers.
According to the article, Robin Pendergrast, spokesperson for Echo, said company officials believe that leaf blowers' noise level of 65 decibels at 50 feet does not warrant singling them out for a ban. Pendergrast said, "We think enough is enough. Most of the concerns raised were over noise, and leaf blowers are no louder than the lawn mowers and Weed Whackers out there that people use. We just feel the council should be even-handed." Attorney Ron Van Buskirk said, "We feel the city went too far and should have looked at other alternatives. The main point we are making is that the city should have looked at other alternatives rather than an outright ban."
Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Councillor Cindy Miscikowski, who supports the ban, said she was not surprised by the lawsuit, the article reports. She said, "This represents the unwillingness of the industry to recognize they haven't prevailed. It's more than just the noise. It's the pollution these machines put out in the air." Members of the City Attorney's Office said they would comment on the lawsuit after it has been reviewed over the next 45 days.
The article notes that the ban was scheduled to take effect July 1, but was delayed six months because officials from the Los Angeles Police Department said they needed time to develop a procedure for enforcing the measure. A meeting is scheduled for Monday before the City Council's Environmental Quality and Waste Management Committee on the status of enforcement, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Idaho Statesman
DATE: October 4, 1997
SECTION: Local ; Pg. 1b
BYLINE: Charles Etlinger
DATELINE: Boise, Idaho
The Idaho Statesman reports that two noise ordinances passed this year in Boise and Ada County, Idaho appear to be working, according to officials. Noise citations are up and complaints are down, they said.
According to the article, the city's noise ordinance was passed in May, and since then, more than 17 citations for loud noise in have been issued by city police. Boise Lieutenant Bill Braddock said, "It's proven to be an effective tool for us. We have some clout." The city bylaw 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, the article says.
The article reports that just this week, two men were convicted and fined under the ordinance for playing their car stereos too loud at night. Prosecutor Jody Carpenter said in one case, an officer heard the stereo while cruising around the downtown, and in another case, neighbors complained about noise from a car stereo of patrons leaving an Emerald Street bar. Braddock said police issue a warning first, and violators usually turn down their stereos voluntarily.
Meanwhile, the county's ordinance, which took effect in June, bans "loud or offensive" noise audible from 100 feet between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The county's noise ordinance has proven especially effective in controlling late-night noise from concerts at Memorial Stadium, the article says. Complaints from nearby residents during concerts once reached into the hundreds, but since the county's ordinance went into effect, they have dwindled. At a Ziggy Marley concert at the stadium on September 16, only one dozen complaints were made to sheriff's deputies, the article reports. A citation was issued because the concert ran 15 to 20 minutes beyond 10 p.m., according to Captain Dan Douthit. According to County Commissioner Roger Simmons, "For the most part, we've done what we set out to do."
The county's ordinance got its first test in June, when the promoter of the Santana concert at Memorial Stadium was fined $300 for allowing music to go until 10:30 p.m. Music fans attended a noisy hearing in June, where they urged county commissioners to allow concerts to go until 11 p.m. But commissioners stuck to their 10 p.m. ban, although they did agree to let the Boise Hawks use their public address system after 10 p.m. for late-running baseball games, the article says.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: October 4, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 4; Zones Desk
BYLINE: Richard Warchol and Dawn Hobbs
DATELINE: Oxnard and Camarillo, California
The Los Angeles Times reports that Oxnard and Camarillo airports in Ventura, California may be sold or leased to private companies by local officials. The Federal Aviation Administration is allowing the plan under a pilot program that is trying to determine if private ownership of airports could be a way to deal with decreases in federal funding. The FAA will accept five airports nationwide for the pilot program,
The article reports that the pilot program will grant exemptions to the five chosen airports from a rule that requires all airport profits to be used for the airport. The private owner, which could be a local municipality, could use profits for other uses. The county is quite interested in being able to do that.
The article notes that the county believes the private sector will be more efficient at advertising and at construction. One reason is that builders wouldn't have to be paid the going union wage as the county must do. Monetary savings could be 25 to 30 percent.
The article goes on to say that residents have called the airport advisory commission because they are concerned that the plans are to be discussed and approved in only one month. They're also not sure what to expect from the plan regarding noise. The FAA says, however, that the pilot program includes requirements on noise, pollution, and even increased fees to airlines.
Presentations will be given to the county airport advisory commission, the county commissioners, and to a joint meeting of the Camarillo and Oxnard airport authorities on the benefits and problems associated with the privatization plan.
The article notes that city council members and county supervisors have some concerns, including how projects -- like improvement of a leaky sewer system -- will be funded with a system that doesn't require airport revenue to be spent on the airport when it hasn't been funded with that requirement in place. They also worry that standing agreements between the city and county will not stay in effect if the airport is privatized.
The article also reports that one county supervisor has said that a private company would advertise better and draw in needed new airlines. Other supervisors wanted to see an example of a privatized airport in action, and will visit one in Morristown, New Jersey.
PUBLICATION: Portland Press Herald
DATE: October 3, 1997
SECTION: Front, Pg. 1A
BYLINE: Mark Shanahan
DATELINE: Springvale, Maine
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Muriel Poulin, John Barth, residents
The Portland Press Herald reports that residents in Springvale, Maine are complaining about the all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes that gun their engines and race up and down the former Boston & Maine Railroad rail bed. Police say they can do little to curb the problem, and other local officials do not believe the problem warrants action.
According to the article, ATVs are becoming increasingly popular in southern Maine, and more and more homeowners across the state are complaining about the noise and nuisance caused by the vehicles. Officials at the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife say there are more than 24,000 registered ATVs in Maine, even though there are relatively few trails where the vehicles are welcome. Because of that, the article says, many ATV riders drive around on private property -- on old railroad tracks, across fields, and in the woods.
However, the article goes on to say, some Springvale residents who live near the rail bed say that ATV noise has increased dramatically recently. The article notes that the ownership of the rail bed is unclear, but it has been used for years by local hikers, bikers, snowmobilers, and ATV riders. Muriel Poulin, a resident of Indian Ledge Road, said she is often forced to close her windows on summer evenings and call the police because of the noise from the ATV riders. She said, "It's awful. The police are very nice about it, but there's very little they can do." Another resident, John Barth, said, "It can be up to every minute for a period of hours. It is a tremendous slamming sound that the users find as exhilarating as the speed. And they are not bothered a bit by the negative power they have." Barth has threatened to sue the town if officials don't do something to discourage ATV riders from using the rail bed, and he recently mailed a questionnaire to 266 homeowners in Springvale within 700 feet of the trail, asking if ATVs are a problem for them. Barth said of the 26 people who responded, most favored a ban on all motor vehicles on the rail bed. "The Board of Selectmen treat this as a political issue," he said. "But it's not. It's a common law issue."
The article reports that according to Sanford Police Chief John Granfield, officers are patrolling the areas on bicycle where residents have complained about ATV noise, but he added that stopping the ATVs is difficult. "A lot of times, the vehicle is unregistered or stolen and the person won't stop," Granfield said. "They go lickity-split into a narrow corridor of heavy vegetation and we can't catch them."
Meanwhile, William Roberts, a Sanford Selectman, said it wouldn't be practical to block access to the rail bed in Springvale, as has been suggested. Roberts said, "After 40 years and only a handful of complaints, I'm not ready to make any drastic changes."
The article also says that according to Scott Ramsey, supervisor of the off-road division of the state Bureau of Parks and Lands, most ATV riders users are respectful and law-abiding, and ride only on the trails where the vehicles are permitted. But the other 10%-15% of the riders are law-breakers, Ramsey said, and give a bad name to all ATV riders.
PUBLICATION: The Gazette (Montreal)
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. A1 / Front
BYLINE: Susan Semenak
DATELINE: Montreal, Quebec, Canada area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Pauline Kafka, Sheldon Reinhart, Ron Hillman, Louise Sauve, Micheline Talbot, resident; Alan DeSouza, resident and attorney
The Gazette reports that residents living near the Dorval Airport outside Montreal, Quebec are complaining about an increase in jet noise after international flights were transferred from Mirabel Airport to Dorval on September 15. Residents of Dorval, Pointe Claire, and St. Laurent are especially affected by the changes, although communities around Montreal also are experiencing more noise. Last week, more than 80 Pointe Claire residents took over a city council meeting to vent their anger and demand action, the article reports, and the residents expect to do the same at the next meeting. Meanwhile, airport and local officials say the noise is not a problem and so far have refused to take action.
According to the article, many have welcomed the transfer of international flights from Mirabel to Dorval, which is closer to Montreal. But the change comes at the price of more noise and air pollution, as well as growing resentment, for residents across the city, the article says. The changes add about 24 more landings and takeoffs per day on the weekdays, and up to 50 on weekend days, for a total of about 520 arrivals and departures per day on average. While residents in Dorval, Pointe Claire, and St. Laurent are in the main line of fire for increased noise, others around Montreal, including those in the Villeray district in the north end, Saint-Lambert on the South Shore, and Plateau Mont Royal in the center of the city, are also hearing more jet noise than ever before. That's because international flights used to fly around the city on their way to Mirabel, which is 55 kilometers northeast of Montreal, but now they fly right over the city, the article says. And the international jets generally are the noisiest, according to the article, because they are wide-bodied jets that are heavier than other planes, and thus make more noise even at higher altitudes.
The article goes on to describe residents' anger at the increased noise from the changes. At last week's city council meeting in Pointe Claire when 80 angry residents took over the meeting to vent their fury, about 24 other homeowners had to be turned away because there wasn't enough room inside. The residents are vowing to take over the next city council meeting too, to demand that the city make independent air-quality tests and set up a noise complaint hotline. Homeowners say that the situation is escalating because of the cavalier attitude displayed by officials at Aeroports de Montreal, the private, non-profit corporation that runs Montreal's federally owned airports.
Ron Hillman, a teacher at Lindsay Place High School in Pointe Claire who says he must stop teaching when a plane passes overhead, said, "They [Aeroports de Montreal] made a simple economic decision that was somehow supposed to do wonders for the Montreal economy. But they never listened to the people who live here. But now we are the ones stuck with it. And if you call to complain, they argue with you. Or they act like yours is the first complaint they ever got." Hillman said he moved to Pointe Claire in 1983, when there wasn't much air traffic and the jumbo jets were operating out of Mirabel. He said his family grew used to the jet noise they did experience, until this summer. Hillman and his neighbors agree that this summer was hell -- they couldn't hold back-yard barbecues or open their windows while the airport's runways were being renovated to accommodate the international jets. His wife is noticing cracks in the ceiling that were never there before, Hillman said, and his neighbors are complaining the air just isn't right. When Hillman goes home from work at night, the article says, he can expect a steady stream of airplanes from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Other residents support Hillman's story and have other complaints as well, the article reports. Pauline Kafka, a St. Laurent resident, said she is often awakened in the middle of the night by airplanes. She said her windows and patio door are always shut, and sometimes she has to stop six times during a phone conversation because she can't hear herself talk. Kafka added that she and her husband have started searching for an apartment in another location to get away from the noise. "We just can't take it any more - it's making us crazy," Kafka said. "It starts early in the morning, before the alarm goes off, and the noise is sustained for so much longer than before. In the evenings, especially at dinner time, they are landing and taking off four and five in a row."
Another resident, Louise Sauve of Pointe Claire, said she's afraid the big jets are going to crash into her backyard, the article reports. She said she lies awake in bed at night straining to hear unusual clicks or clanks in the engine noise that might signal trouble. "I could live with the smaller planes, but the jumbo jets are unbearable," said Sauve, who moved to the area in 1995. "Sometimes, it's like a big spaceship over the house, vibrating the windows." Micheline Talbot, another Pointe Claire resident, said she's angry that jets wake her up in the middle of the night, despite promises from officials at Aeroports de Montreal that a strict nighttime curfew is in effect. She said on Sunday night, for instance, she was awakened by a plane landing at 4:26 a.m. She added, "I called to complain, but all I got was the answering machine. It happens at 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. as well. It's like Star Wars. What do you think is happening to the value of my house? Who will want to live in this area now?"
Meanwhile, local politicians have little sympathy for residents' problem, the article says. Peter Yeomans, the Dorval Mayor, is a strong airport proponent who says the residents putting down the airport are a bunch of malcontents "looking to foment trouble." He added, "How can they complain? I don't have much sympathy for them. The airport is our life, our livelihood. It brings tremendous economic benefits. If you live beside Miron quarry, there will be dust. If you live near an airport, there is some noise." Yeomans said people who can't stand jet noise shouldn't move near airports, and that living under a flight path is the price you pay for a nice suburban lifestyle, reasonable property taxes, and a well-endowed community. So what if you have to learn the "Dorval pause?" he said, which is a reflex Dorval neighbors develop enabling them to stop talking when a plane flies over, and pick up where they left off 20 or 30 seconds later.
Officials at the Aeroports de Montreal maintain that strict nighttime curfews are being enforced that restrict takeoffs and landings at the airport, the article says. Youssef Sabeh, the environment director at Aeroports de Montreal, said, "It's clear the news of the transfer [of international jets] created anxiety, apprehension, and fear that noise would rise. Just because the airport is so much in the news, people seem more sensitive to the noise -- even during periods of the day when there have been no changes. There are no international flights coming or going in the morning."
Sabeh went on to say that the agency's tests show noise levels at the Dorval Airport have decreased by 47% between 1981 and 1994, even though air traffic grew by about 30,000 trips a year over the same period. The agency received 179 noise complaints in September, Sabeh said, but 100 of those came before the international flights were transferred. In 1996, the airport received an unprecedented 684 complaints after the international flight transfers were announced, but before the planes arrived, Sabeh said. Of those, 135 were registered by one man, the article reports.
Sabeh also said there is more noise for the short term, but there will be another 32% reduction in noise at Dorval by 2010, mostly due to the advent of newer, quieter planes. The article points out that federal regulations require airlines using Canadian airports to be equipped with quieter engines or "hush kits" to reduce noise by 2002. In the U.S., that deadline is 1999, and as a result of the regulations, according to Sabeh, 65% of the commercial fleet at Dorval is already equipped with quieter engines or hush kits.
In addition, Sabeh insisted that the nighttime noise curfew was being observed, despite the fact that more than a dozen residents interviewed complained of such noise during the past two weeks. The curfew prohibits large jets from taking off between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and from landing between 11:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. Smaller planes are prohibited from taking off after midnight, and from landing after 1 a.m. Sabeh said on Monday night, for example, an Air France flight from Paris that was scheduled to arrive at Dorval at 11 p.m. was delayed, so the plane was re-routed to Mirabel, which is open 24 hours a day. As a result of the nighttime curfew, Sabeh said, there should only be two types of planes in the skies over Montreal at night: overflights en route to other destinations, usually flying at high altitudes; and small, privately owned general-aviation aircraft that are considered very quiet. If airlines do not respect the curfew, which Sabeh said is the most stringent among Canadian airports, Transport Canada levies fines of up to $5,000.
Meanwhile, the article explains, Aeroports de Montreal next year is planning to install a $1.1-million electronic surveillance program linked to the control tower's radar system, which will monitor flight paths and arrival times of all planes that use Dorval to ensure the curfew is being respected.
The article notes that the surveillance system isn't enough action for the irate residents, but because they've already lost a court battle to block the transfer of the jets, they may have to settle for it. Alan DeSouza, a St. Laurent resident and attorney, said residents should keep applying pressure for more say on how the airport operates. "There are no adequate mechanisms for public input into decisions that affect their everyday lives," DeSouza said. "Most people don't even know that residents are entitled to a seat on Aeroports de Montreal's noise -control committee." He added, "Dorval airport has gone from 5.8 million passengers a year to 8.1 million, and the projections are that by 2005 12.5 million travelers will use the airport. We all bought houses knowing Dorval was close by, but the rules of the game have changed now. We have a lot more than we bargained for."
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B6
BYLINE: Sherman Tarr
DATELINE: Suffield, Connecticut
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Edward Kenney, Bernie Gooch, Earl Genero, Ted Goodman, residents; Astrid Hanzalek, Michael Long, members, Bradley Airport Commission
The Hartford Courant reports that a group of residents in Suffield, Connecticut are threatening to sue the state if noise from planes using the Bradley International Airport isn't reduced. Residents insist the noise has grown worse this year, and have submitted a petition with 195 signatures asking that the noise be controlled.
According to the article, Suffield residents from the southeast end of town submitted the petition at a meeting of the Bradley Airport Commission, a citizens advisory group. Edward Kenney of Diane Street said, "It's consumed our lives and health. If something isn't done in the near future, we'll consider it as deliberate intent to hurt us and we'll take legal action." Bernie Gooch of Suffield Street said the jet noise has changed in the three years he's lived there. He said the noise has gotten so loud, it has drowned out his lawnmower and shut down his stereo. Another resident, Earl Genero, has lived on Boston Neck Road for 39 years and said the noise this summer from low-flying planes is the worst he has ever heard. "If you look at my roof, you're going to find tire marks. If I had a ladder, I could get on some of the planes," Genero said. "Do we have to live like this?" Meanwhile, Ted Goodman of East Street said his dining room hutch has been moved by the noise, and he wondered what happened this year to account for the louder noise.
Meanwhile, Robert Juliano, who heads the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Aviation and Ports, said nothing had changed at the airport to his knowledge, the article reports.
The Bradley Airport Commission later voted to hold a public hearing in Suffield in mid-November and invite the DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss what noise mitigation measures are underway, the article says. Before that meeting, another meeting will be held between some commission members, DOT officials, and FAA officials to discuss the issue. Bradley Airport Commission member Astrid Hanzalek said, "In order to maintain credibility, the DOT is going to have to offer solutions." Commission member Michael Long said, "This has turned into an explosive thing that needs to be addressed." Some commissioners suggested that zoning officials in the towns surrounding Bradley (Suffield, Windsor Locks, Windsor, and East Granby) also should be invited to the November hearing because some of them have allowed houses in their areas to expand to the airport's borders. Commission Chair Charles Watras said that zoning officials were advised in the early 1980s about what type of construction should be allowed next to the airport. Since then, the article says, many homes have been built near the airport.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 5; Metro Desk
BYLINE: Solomon Moore
DATELINE: Van Nuys, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: George Jerome, president, airport's citizen advisory committee; Renee Eastman, resident
The Los Angeles Times reports that a 22-year-old community garden across the street from Van Nuys Airport may turn into a car dealership if the city goes through with its plan to lease the property to a developer. Residents oppose the idea.
According to the article, the Van Nuys Airport Garden Club is a community garden where over 60 families can grow plans such as sugar cane, okra, sunflowers, and corn. The garden is a welcome break in the monotony of asphalt in the area of the airport. One couple said that they bought their house near the airport -- despite the noise -- to be close to the garden; they are upset that it may disappear, having thought it would always be there.
The article notes that the owner of the car dealership doesn't care at all about residents who use or appreciate the garden, saying "Sure, they will be inconvenienced, they might have to do a little work, but we're talking about a sizable income for the city." If he gets his way, he will lease eight acres from the city -- including the garden -- "pave the area, and park 1,600 cars there."
The article reports that after airport officials told the garden that it would be destroyed, residents were outraged. They are supported by the citizen advisory committee to the airport, which says it was tricked into approving the deal last year on the basis that the garden wouldn't be affected.
The article goes on to explain that the director of the Los Angeles Department of Airports apologized for the comment that the garden would definitely be moved. He said no final decision has been made on the fate of the garden. They currently lease the property for the cost of water and a portable toilet.
The article says that the garden might be moved, but gardeners note that pesticides in other lawn areas would interfere with plant growth. Homeowners also fear the car dealership would hurt their property values.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 4; Metro Desk
DATELINE: Inglewood, California
The Los Angeles Times reports that Inglewoood, California received $10.5-million in grant money from the federal government to mitigate noise from Los Angeles International airport. The money will be used to buy residential property affected by noise and rezone it for different use.
The article reports that the money, which will be used over a four-year span, will purchase 284 residential units and convert them for commercial tenants. The grant comes from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program, which has already given the city $40-million for noise mitigation in the past.
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. C2
BYLINE: Mike Funston
DATELINE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Toronto Star reports that the Greater Toronto (Ontario) Airports Authority has lost the first round of a legal battle to stop a subdivision from being built under a flight path in Mississauga. The article says that three Divisional Court judges ruled against the authority's argument that the effects of noise on residents should be a factor in deciding whether the proposed 200-home subdivision in the Meadowvale Village district should be built. The subdivision would be about five kilometers from the airport, the article notes. The authority also had appealed the project to the Ontario Municipal Board, but because of yesterday's ruling, only arguments on planning grounds now can be heard in that court.
According to the article, the airport authority has 15 days to appeal yesterday's decision. If an appeal is launched, a final decision could be a year or two away, according to Mississauga planning commissioner Tom Mokrzycki. Bruce Reid, a spokesperson for the authority, said authority officials are reviewing their options.
Meanwhile, David Culham, a Mississauga Councillor, hailed the decision, saying the subdivision had been unfairly delayed. Culham said the subdivision originally was in compliance with federal-provincial aircraft noise policy, but new policy from the government says the houses shouldn't be built in that location, which falls within the so-called 30 to 35 noise exposure forecast contours.
In a related matter, the authority announced that flight tests are starting on the new north-south runway, which many residents have protested. The tests started on Tuesday, and more are scheduled for October 7, 23, and 28, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Vancouver Sun
DATE: October 2, 1997
SECTION: News; Traffic Jam; Pg. B2
DATELINE: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Vancouver Urban Noise Task Force
The Vancouver Sun reports in its column "Traffic Jam" that recent articles about noisy motorcycles drew a letter from the British Columbia Coalition of Motorcycles, a group that says it is "lobbying for responsible motorcycle legislation." Coalition members said in the letter that the group wants to work with the city on a proactive education campaign to reduce motorcycle noise.
According to the article, Erroll Hannigan, the Coalition's executive director, said in the letter, "There are a group of riders that take great pleasure in roaring around Vancouver, the West End and Kitsilano specifically with total disregard for their offending noise. They are the highly audible minority that is making it bad for the silent majority." Hannigan noted that the number-one recommendation of the Vancouver Urban Noise Task Force is to reduce motorcycle noise; the Task Force also called on the city to work with the motorcycle coalition on an education campaign to reduce such noise. The coalition is still waiting to hear from the city to begin the campaign, Hannigan said.
The article reports that Hannigan also said motorcycle noise does not set off car alarms. Instead, he said, vibration sets off car alarms, which can be caused by dump trucks, city buses, and some motorcycles. He added, "What you have is a double problem: car alarms set with too much sensitivity and excessively loud motorcycles. This combined scenario could only cause the residents to become 'earitated.'"
PUBLICATION: The Arizona Republic
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: Scottsdale Community; Pg. 1
BYLINE: John Nemo
DATELINE: Paradise Valley, Arizona
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: John Lorson, resident
The Arizona Republic reports that city officials in Paradise Valley, Arizona, a kennel owner, and neighbors of the kennel are involved in a fight over noise from barking dogs. Last spring, the town's code enforcement committee decided that the kennel owner's barking dogs violated a town code and placed restrictions on the kennel. Last week, the committee rejected the kennel owner's motion to hold a re-hearing of the decision. Meanwhile, the kennel owner has filed two lawsuits against the town, the article says.
According to the article, the Applewood Kennel on Lincoln Drive is owned by Clayton Coady. Last April, the town's code enforcement committee decided that to address the noise problem, Coady should reduce the number of dogs held outdoors on his property to no more than eight at a time, and should move forward on plans to enclose his property, build indoor kennels, and move an outdoor yard for his dogs to the front of his property, away from the neighbors. However, the article points out, the Town Council must approve that measure and Coady claims the council won't schedule the matter for a vote. He said after last week's committee meeting where his motion to hold a re-hearing was rejected, "I'm just caught up in the politics of this. The mayor's committee approved things in a fashion I can live with. We're willing to comply. But the Town Council won't schedule it for a vote."
Meanwhile, the article says, Town Attorney Jill Kennedy said that the enclosure Coady is proposing is "pretty massive. " She added that it's hard to predict how the Council would rule on it, but "I can tell you what the town's general plan is about, and this goes against our plans for decreasing traffic and less commercialized housing." Coady's lawyer, Charles Kelhoffer, said the council's position is "a recent fabrication to justify the refusal to give their citizen a hearing. Politically, they don't want to do this. Legally, they can."
Coady has filed two lawsuits against the town, the article explains. One argues that the town's noise ordinance is vague and doesn't apply to his situation. The other lawsuit seeks compensation in the event that Coady is faced to give up the kennel by the town.
The article goes on to say that the kennel has been at its present location since the 1950s, but the town did not become incorporated until 1961, and Coady did not own the kennel until 1992. Since then, he said he has significantly upgraded the property, and his construction plans would cost him more than $1 million. Kennel general manager Florence McMillan said that Coady has already spent more than $200,000 trying to meet the city's requirements and that his attorney's fees are "astronomical." Coady said his clients include entertainer Bill Cosby and former Vice President Dan Quayle.
One kennel client, Dean Ullmann, brings his two dogs to the kennel frequently. He said, "They should get rid of the neighbors. The kennel was here before the neighbors. It's like an airport. They should have known about the noise before they moved in." But John Lorson, a neighbor of the kennel living on East Quail Run Road, said, "When I moved here five years ago, I got a three-month lease. I was worried about the noise. Things were fine, so I bought the home. Then they [Coady] moved in, and the dogs started barking. It hasn't stopped since." Lorson added, "The constant barking is absolutely obnoxious. The quiet enjoyment of your own property is what you should expect from your city." Lorson went on to say that city officials allowed the problem to happen and now they need to fix it.
Meanwhile, the article says, Town Attorney Kennedy said she would prefer a simpler solution, but the litigation will probably continue until one side gets tired of it. Coady's attorney Kelhoffer said he believes there are people on the Town Council who don't want the kennel to exist. But, Kelhoffer warned, "This is Mr. Coady's business and his livelihood. He is not going to just pack up and go away."
PUBLICATION: Bangor Daily News
DATE: October 1, 1997
BYLINE: Dawn Gagnon
DATELINE: Bangor, Maine
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Senator Robert Murray; Representative Christina Baker; Betty and Floyd Hoyt, residents
The Bangor Daily News reports that the chances of getting noise barriers for residents near Interstate 95's Broadway exit in Bangor, Maine may be improving. The residents' requests of state officials for relief from the rising noise levels have not been addressed, mostly due to a lack of funding, the article says. But a recent letter from the state Department of Transportation to a Bangor legislator said the outlook for federal funding has improved since the middle of September. State transportation officials had previously said federal funds likely could not be used for building a sound barrier, but now it appears the project is eligible for funding from the Federal Highway Administration. If all goes according to plan, the article says, a noise barrier for the Broadway exit could be installed next year or soon after.
According to the article, Department of Transportation Commissioner John Melrose sent the letter to Senator Robert Murray, who along with Representative Christina Baker, has been helping the residents in their requests for a noise barrier. Resident Betty Hoyt, who has lobbied the state for noise mitigation measures since the early 1990s, said, "We feel that something needs to be done immediately. We've been living here for 34 years. If it comes next year, at least it's something." At a September 11 meeting at Betty and her husband Floyd's home to discuss the issue, residents said the noise has forced them to keep their windows closed, prevented them from enjoying their yards, porches and decks, affected their health, and caused their property values to drop, the article says.
Meanwhile, the article reports, Michael Burns, a DOT highway engineer, said that the most cost-effective solution would be to install a wooden fence similar to the one recently installed near the Union Street exit of I-95. Such a fence, at 1,000-feet-long and 12- to 14-feet-tall, would cost about $150,000, the article notes. Other types of noise barriers could cost up to $500,000, according to state highway design engineers.
PUBLICATION: Deutsche Presse-Agentur
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: International News
DATELINE: Munich, Germany
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Karl Hecht, scientist, Institute of Stress Research; Christian Maschke, scientist, Technical University Institute of Acoustics
The Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that two German scientists have completed research on the precise health effects of nocturnal traffic noise. According to the article, they have found that nighttime traffic noise not only disturbs sleep but also encourages psychosomatic illnesses, shortens the period of deep, dream-rich REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, lengthens the phase of light slumber, and may cause cardio-circulatory problems. The findings are published in the medical journal "Fortschritte der Medizin."
The article reports that Berlin scientists Karl Hecht of the Institute of Stress Research and Christian Maschke of the Technical University Institute of Acoustics studied residents living near Berlin's Tegel Airport who volunteered to participate in the study. Forty people between the ages of 18 and 40 took part in the test, the article notes. The subjects first slept for one week without noise in a sleep laboratory. The following week, the subjects were subjected to noise levels from 55 to 75 decibels during their slumber, the noise levels normal near an airport. Urine tests were conducted during both weeks, the article says.
The researchers found that the participants' adrenaline levels rose by an average of about 60% during the time they were subjected to noise. Participants' sleep and sense of well-being on waking up in the morning deteriorated significantly from the first to second week. Researchers found that noise during the first two hours of sleep and the last two hours of sleep was especially disturbing. The noise also caused shorter phases of deep and REM sleep, and longer phases of the first, light sleep phase. The subjects also stayed awake longer or tossed and turned in bed, the article reports.
Another test found that when subjected to aircraft noise, the participants' adrenal glands secreted 19% more of the hormone cortisol, while their thrombocyte levels were reduced by a significant 11%. Participants' adrenaline levels and cortisol secretion both increased if they were not used to a particular type of nighttime noise, but if they were accustomed to a type of noise, only increased cortisol secretion was observed. The article says that researcher Maschke said that the high cortisol concentrations found in the subjects could promote development of diabetes or stomach ulcers, inhibit immune processes, and increase the risk of high blood pressure.
PUBLICATION: M2 Presswire
DATE: October 1, 1997
DATELINE: Washington, D.C.
M2 Presswire released a press release that says U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater announced today that U.S. airlines are ahead of the federal regulatory schedule for a fifth consecutive year in making their fleets quieter. All airplanes must meet the quieter, Stage 3 noise levels by the year 2000 under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990, the press release notes.
The press release also says that Slater recently submitted a report to Congress showing that airlines were ahead of last year's December 31 interim compliance requirements to either reduce the number of noisier Stage 2 airplanes in their fleets by 50% or have 65% quieter Stage 3 airplanes in their fleets. Figures from December of last year show that 75.5% of the airplanes operating in the U.S. are Stage 3 aircraft. Jane Garvey, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, said, "Just this past year, 370 noisier Stage 2 aircraft have been removed from service while 230 quieter Stage 3 aircraft have entered service in the United States." Many airlines already have met the criteria for the next interim compliance date, which is December 31, 1998, the press release says.
The press release notes that Stage 2 aircraft include Boeing models 727-200, 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas model DC-9. Stage 3 airplanes include Boeing models 737-300, 757, 777 and McDonnell Douglas model MD-90. Some airlines are complying with the regulations by installed Stage 3 noise level hush kits to their Stage 2 aircraft, the press release explains.
PUBLICATION: News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: Local/State; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Les Blumenthal
DATELINE: Seattle, Washington
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Peter Kirsch, attorney representing the Airport Communities Coalition
The News Tribune reports that the U.S. Department of Transportation Tuesday committed $161 million to Seattle, Washington's Sea-Tac Airport for a third runway. That funding, in addition to up to $95 million in other federal money, will provide enough federal funding to complete the controversial project, the article notes. Meanwhile, several lawsuits seeking to stop the project are pending.
According to the article, the project will cost roughly $600 million to build, and other funding will come from the sale of bonds, landing and takeoff fees charged to the airlines, and revenues generated from airport concessions.
Those who support the third runway project say the letter of intent released by the Transportation Department commits the federal funding necessary to complete the runway, the article says. Gary Grant, a Port of Seattle commissioner, said, "It's great news. The whole plan of finance for the runway and other projects was based on this commitment. It was the key." He added, "Ours is the largest FAA commitment to funding this year, and it underscores how import this project is to the entire national aviation system." The article reports that backers of the project say the runway is needed to relieve future congestion at the 18th busiest airport in the nation. The airport is 50 years old, and has seen record-breaking growth for 14 years, according to airport officials. The airport had 395,000 landings and takeoffs last year, and is expected to have 474,000 landings and takeoffs by 2010.
Opponents of the third runway believe the project is not needed and will create additional noise and congestion in the area, the article says. They say the FAA had formally endorsed the new runway last June, so the letter of intent was no surprise. Peter Kirsch, a lawyer who represents the Airport Communities Coalition, said, "It's just a policy statement, a political commitment, and it's not a legal document." The group consists of five South King County communities near the airport that oppose the new runway, the article notes. Kirsch added, "The only issue is what conditions [the FAA] placed on the funding, and I haven't seen the letter of intent yet so I don't know."
The article goes on to discuss the involvement of three U.S. lawmakers in the effort to secure the federal funding. Senator Patty Murray (D), Senator Slade Gorton (R), and Representative Norm Dicks (D) recently have lobbied officials at the Transportation Department and the FAA for the funding. The three lawmakers explained to Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater and FAA Director Jane Garvey that the new runway was very important, but they also said it could cause disruptions, the article says. The lawmakers later said in a letter to Slater, "While the citizens in the area represent a small portion of the Puget Sound's total population, we want to make it clear that their concerns regarding noise and community disruption should be reasonably addressed. We want the FAA to continue its commitment to helping Sea-Tac address noise concerns in the area and provide for the orderly relocation of homes and businesses that must be purchased to make this project viable." The three lawmakers said Tuesday they were satisfied with the federal commitment to the funding. Dicks said, "This represents a crucial step in helping the region keep up with air traffic growth that has far outpaced the rest of the nation." Murray said the Department of Transportation has "committed to me its intention of addressing the noise and construction concerns voiced by the airport's neighbors."
PUBLICATION: Chicago Tribune
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: Metro Northwest; Pg. 2; Zone: NW
DATELINE: Prospect Heights and Wheeling, Illinois
The Chicago Tribune reports that officials in Prospect Heights and Wheeling, Illinois likely will commission a noise study for noise produced at the Palwaukee Municipal Airport, in response to complaints by residents. The two communities jointly own the airport, the article notes.
The article reports that at a workshop Monday between elected officials and Palwaukee airport commission officials, Prospect Heights Alderman Tom O'Donoghue said, "[Residents] are absolutely complaining all the time, and it's not going to go away." According to Wheeling Village President Greg Klatecki, placing more stringent restrictions on takeoff and landing times and distributing the use of the runways could address some of residents' concerns.
PUBLICATION: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
DATE: October 3, 1997
SECTION: Community Close-Up, Pg. 15
BYLINE: Alan Cherry
DATELINE: Sunrise, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ellie Hill, Hank Halsey, residents
The Sun-Sentinel reports that residents in Sunrise, Florida who along Flamingo Road and Northwest 136th Avenue attended a City Commission meeting last week to complain about the lack of action in getting an 8-foot noise barrier built to protect their homes from traffic noise and dust. The project has been in the works for more than a year, the article says, and it could be another eight months before the wall is built.
According to the article, $500,000 has been moving along slowly as officials met with residents, drew up plans, and got clearances for the structures. City Engineer Tom Kassawara said the city staff was trying to get to the paperwork needed for contractors to bid on building the wall as quickly as possible.
But residents were angry about the lack of progress, the article reports. Resident Ellie Hill said, "Will one person tell me what I have done to receive the complete lack of cooperation I have received?" Resident Hank Halsey said he recently complained to City Manager Pat Salerno and, "he told me he didn't care.... At least somebody told the truth." Residents were hoping to push City Commissioners to speed up the project, but, the article says, officials rejected a proposal to spend an extra $30,000 to speed it up.
The article explains that residents were promised a noise barrier nearly a decade ago when Sawgrass Mills was being built. Now, with the nearby hockey arena under construction, the situation is even worse, the article says. Residents object to the road noise, construction dirt, and trash that people throw out their car windows.
PUBLICATION: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
DATE: October 4, 1997
SECTION: Marketplace; Pg. 3D
DATELINE: Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Minnesota reports that Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport - one of Europe's busiest - won a waiver from the government Friday allowing it to exceed noise limits.
According to the article, the decision, welcomed by the airlines but not by environmental groups, came after months of debate between noise activists and international airlines supporting its growth. The Dutch government decided the airport will be allowed to exceed the legal noise limits during the day, but two of its four runways will be closed two hours earlier to reduce night flight noises. No decibel figures were given for how loud the planes could be. The airport earlier proposed measures to moderate noise levels by cutting runway use, but the Northwest-KLM alliance and other airlines complained that that would cause major delays.
The article goes on to note that Schiphol is a vital hub in the route structure linking flights by KLM and Northwest. When the two carriers Monday signed a 10-year alliance agreement to solidify their profitable partnership, the Dutch press wrote extensively about a provision in the agreement for Northwest to back out if growth at Schiphol is curtailed due to noise restrictions.
PUBLICATION: Jane's Airport Review
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: Airports; The Netherlands; Vol. 9; No. 8; Pg. 17
BYLINE: Brian Walters
DATELINE: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jane's Airport Review talks about the growth at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and the White Paper that sets down clear limits to the airport's future growth, specifying day- and night-time ' noise zones'; a maximum annual throughput of passengers; freight; and enhanced safety and emissions. The growth of the airport has already outgrown the projections on which the 1990 study was completed.
Jane's Airport Review says that, spurred by the growth in air traffic at Schiphol, which feeds the UK and other EU countries, the Dutch parliament in 1995 approved a White Paper on Schiphol's future. This document endorsed a policy of developing Schiphol as a 'main port', serving not just its home market but central Europe as well. However, the White Paper also laid down clear limits to the airport's future growth, specifying day- and night-time 'noise zones'; a maximum annual throughput of 44 million passengers; and 3.3 million tons of freight; and enhanced safety and emissions controls.
According to the article, The White Paper was drawn up in 1990, but the air traffic growth forecasts on which its conclusions were based have since been far exceeded. To prompt public discussion, several government ministries have initiated a consultation paper, Future Dutch Aviation Infrastructure. It raises basic questions on the benefit to the Dutch people, their government and the business world of further traffic growth after Schiphol has reached its capacity limit.
The article reports that Main Port Study is a response to the government's consultation paper. It is the work of the airport authority, DHV Engineering, Siemens Nederland and Rotterdam Municipal Port Management. The study's premise is that Schiphol and KLM must be allowed to grow further if they are to continue to contribute to the Dutch economy. But, it also examines ways of absorbing further air traffic growth when Schiphol reaches its current government-imposed environmental limits. These include three specific development proposals at different locations. KLM airline opposes any plan to move its operations from Schiphol to an artificial island site, as proposed in two of the three options set out in the Main Port Study. However, the two island sites identified by the Main port study are rich in bird life, so studies of local bird migration will be required. The IJsselmeer site would suffer greater bird problems than either of the other two solutions. Each solution assumes that a fifth runway will be built at Schiphol, which, along with technological innovations such as quieter aircraft and improved take-off and landing procedures, would stimulate considerable growth. There seems to be little room for compromise between the Main Port Study sponsors and KLM. The airline favors a more measured approach to the selection of a site for a new airport, which would be developed over the next 20 to 30 years.
The article reports that on October 31, the Dutch government will recommend whether or not further development should be planned after Schiphol reaches its capacity limit. Parliament will then debate the issue. Only if further growth is approved will the question of a new or overflow airport be considered. In the meantime, the State Secretary for Traffic proposed night restrictions for Stage II aircraft at Schiphol, forcing KLM to reschedule some cargo flights. The imposition of tighter noise regulations than those permitted for Stage III aircraft has forced the airline to modify its fleet of 32 Boeing 737s.
According to the article, depending on which decision is ultimately made, the runway system at Schiphol would be substantially altered, significantly changing noise patterns. For example, runways 09/27 and 01R/19L would be closed and a second runway parallel to 06/24 built, reducing the noise impact on local residential areas. By closing two noisy runways, reducing the noise zone by more than 90 per cent, the island solutions would remove most of Schiphol's current environmental problems. At night, the new Schiphol would be virtually closed down, while by day it would meet stricter noise limits than those today. KLM strongly rejects this solution, and is no less hostile to the Remote Runway Model. However, the Remote Runway option is preferred by Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, which maintains it provides the greatest advantages both for the environment and for future economic development. However, it could not proceed without financing from the government and private-sector. Approval for the new runway was passed by parliament in 1995 and the legislation must now pass the scrutiny of a state council, which is hearing objectors. There is cautious optimism that a final go-ahead will be given, not least because the new runway promises to alleviate the noise problem. Construction is not expected to begin before 1999. In addition to the Main Port Study solutions, five land sites are also being studied by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. Most of these are likely to be overflow candidates, rather than a permanent replacement for Schiphol. The locations of these sites are not being revealed, to avoid alarming those who might feel threatened by possible airport development in their neighborhood.
PUBLICATION: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
DATE: October 1, 1997
SECTION: Community Close-up; Pg. 3
BYLINE: Alan Cherry
DATELINE: Sunrise, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Ellie Hill, resident; Hank Halsey, resident
The Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reports it could be eight more months before Sunrise residents along Flamingo Road and Northwest 136th Avenue will see a wall shielding their homes from the grit and noise of traffic. Many are angry about the delay.
The article says the $ 500,000 project has been in the works for longer than a year. ''We are trying to get it out as quickly as possible,'' City Engineer Tom Kassawara said about the paperwork needed for contractors to bid on building the 8-foot wall. But delays have irritated residents living near Flamingo Road, a few blocks south of Oakland Park Boulevard. They confronted city officials last week at a commission meeting, hoping to speed up the project. ''Will one person tell me what I have done to receive the complete lack of cooperation I have received?'' resident Ellie Hill asked. Resident Hank Halsey said he recently complained to City Manager Pat Salerno and, ''he told me he didn't care . . . at least somebody told the truth.'' Salerno denied saying he didn't care. Hill said residents were promised protection nearly a decade ago when Sawgrass Mills was being built. Now they have the added irritation and disruption caused by the nearby hockey arena under construction. Complaints include road noise, construction dirt, broken bottles and fast food wrappers people throw out car windows. ''Not a one of you would have put up with that since 1988,'' Hill said to city officials. ''(The affected) families don't mean a thing to you.''
According to the article Salerno and Mayor Steven Feren defended themselves at the commission meeting. Feren said those complaining should remember the $ 500,000 the rest of the city is paying to protect their homes from Sawgrass Mills and surrounding commercial growth. The residents countered by saying the city failed to look out for their interests in the first place, which is why taxpayers are having to foot the cost of the wall now. Ultimately, officials rejected a proposal to spend an extra $ 30,000 to hasten the project.
The article goes on to say one wall would be along 136th Avenue, from Northwest Eighth Street to Northwest 10th Street. The other wall would be along Flamingo Road, from Northwest 28th Court to Northwest 30th Place. The wall along 136th Avenue would replace an existing, ineffective shorter wall. Part of the delay has been devising a proposal to deal with utility lines that run along the rear of the 136th Avenue properties, Kassawara said. But the logistics have been solved and a contractor should be hired within 60 days, he said.
PUBLICATION: Corporate Report Minnesota
DATE: October 1997
SECTION: Vol 28; No 10; pg 7
BYLINE: Vikki Kratz
DATELINE: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Corporate Report Minnesota reports that the Japs-Olson Company has completed its move away from its office/warehouse space of about 300,000 square feet on the riverfront in North Minneapolis to escape from its neighbor, American Iron and Supply, a metal-shredding plant. Japs-Olson, a precision printing company, decided to move because the constant vibration from the metal shredder disturbed its printing equipment. Now, American Iron and Supply wants to build a five-story "Kondirator," which can handle 100 tons of metal an hour. The article says that the printing company is likely to have an extremely difficult time selling its property next to the metal-shredding company. Meanwhile, the city of Minneapolis is suing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, saying that the agency didn't fully research environmental hazards of the Kondirator when it issued its permits.
According to the article, Japs-Olson's real estate brokers at Towle Real Estate Company will have a difficult time selling the property. Bill Anderson, a Minneapolis city environmental supervisor, said, "The metal-shredder is not something you can call an employee amenity. The reality is that people will be very wary of this facility." He added that whatever company moves into the space "better make sure their employee health benefits are good." Those opposed to the Kondirator believe it will spew dust from metals such as lead and mercury.
However, the article reports, officials at American Iron and Supply maintain all the environmental concerns of the Kondirator were addressed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) when it reviewed and issued permits for the project. Now, the article notes, the city of Minneapolis is suing the MPCA.
Meanwhile, John Isaacs, president of American Iron, said Japs-Olson is asking too much for its property. Isaacs said the company is asking for $7 million, which he estimates is 30% to 50% too high.
Residents living across the river from the plant are worried about the possibility of the Kondirator, but aren't eager to move out, the article reports. Still, residents already live with heavy traffic coming from the American Iron site, in addition to dust, vibration, and noise that can occur between 6:30 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. Resident Lois Buchinger said she's lived on Marshall Avenue her whole life and doesn't want to leave. Resident JoAnn Brinda said, "I can't imagine what it'll be when--if--there's a Kondirator." Buchinger added, "I understand those people are in business. That's fine. What they do is recycling. That's wonderful. But they're doing it in the wrong place. It should never be where there's people."
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Aircraft Noise
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Effects on Wildlife/Animals
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Firing Ranges
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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
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Violence and Noise
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Chronological Index
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