Aviation noise consultant Vince Mestre explains to the Port of Seattle why changing the FAA's 65 DNL noise contour standard — the threshold used to determine acceptable aircraft noise near residential areas — would likely require an act of Congress rather than a simple regulatory update. The 65 DNL standard is embedded in at least three federal regulations and orders (CFR 14 Parts 150 and 161, and FAA Order 1050.1F), all of which trace their authority back to enabling legislation such as the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act (ASNA) of 1978 and the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) of 1990. Because the FAA's rulemaking authority is granted and bounded by those Congressional statutes, modifying ASNA would most likely be required before the FAA could formally lower or otherwise change the noise compatibility standard.Open full document
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A memo from Vince Mestre to the Port of Seattle explaining the regulatory and legislative basis for the FAA’s 65 DNL noise contour standard. It identifies three key federal regulations and orders (CFR 14 Part 161, CFR 14 Part 150, and FAA Order 1050.1F) that embed the 65 DNL standard. The memo concludes that changing the 65 DNL policy would likely require Congressional action to modify the enabling legislation, particularly the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act.