Tagairport issues(15)

A European study called RANCH examined how aircraft and road traffic noise affects reading comprehension and attention in nearly 3,000 children aged 9-10 in the UK, Netherlands, and Spain. Results showed that higher aircraft noise exposure was significantly linked to poorer reading comprehension, while road traffic noise showed no such effect; neither type of noise impacted sustained attention. The findings suggest aircraft noise poses a greater risk to children's cognitive development than road traffic noise, with implications for school siting and noise exposure policies near airports.

In February 2000, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) wrote to U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Slade Gorton urging an investigation into aviation safety concerns at Sea-Tac Airport, following a KIRO-TV news report that revealed hundreds of unreported near-misses, runway incursions, and mechanical problems documented in NASA AMES files. The RCAA argued that these hidden dangers raised serious questions about the Port of Seattle's plans to expand the airport with a third runway. The letter also requested a moratorium on expansion-related construction permits until a full safety investigation — ideally led by the FAA Inspector General — could be completed.

A January 1984 Port of Seattle memorandum notifies the Technical Working Committee of an upcoming meeting on January 25 to review noise remedy programs for Jackson (Sea-Tac) International Airport, including land acquisition, purchase assurance, and sound insulation proposals. Attached is a draft chapter evaluating on-airport and off-airport noise abatement measures against ten criteria, such as airspace compatibility and aircraft safety. The document outlines which measures were recommended for implementation following an initial screening process described in an earlier chapter.