TagNoise Mitigation(259)

The Burien Airport Committee held a Study Session on March 16, 2021, focusing on airplane noise and its impacts on surrounding communities. Key agenda items included an update from Congressman Adam Smith's office on a letter urging the FAA to implement a noise mitigation program for homes, updates on the SeaTac Airport Roundtable (StART) process, and a discussion on preparation for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The meeting was conducted virtually via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions under Governor Inslee's Healthy Washington guidelines.

Arlington County, Virginia renewed a consulting services contract (No. 20-042-RFP) with ABCx2, LLC to study aircraft noise generated by Reagan National Airport air traffic near Arlington County, VA, and Montgomery County, MD, and to recommend mitigation strategies. The renewal period runs from March 24, 2021 to March 23, 2022, with one additional 12-month renewal option extending through March 23, 2023. The contract was signed by Arlington County's Assistant Purchasing Agent Meloni Hurley and ABCx2, LLC Manager James K. Allerdice, Jr.

In December 2020, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson transmitted a report to Congress fulfilling a requirement under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which directed the agency to study whether reducing jet aircraft approach and takeoff speeds could meaningfully lower noise for communities surrounding airports. The study was required to assess whether any such speed reductions would compromise aviation safety or reduce the efficiency of the National Airspace System, including effects on airport capacity, travel times, and fuel consumption. The report was sent to key congressional leaders overseeing transportation and commerce policy.

This document is a detailed response regarding a proposed Washington State house bill on airport sound insulation, arguing that homeowners near Sea-Tac Airport who received faulty or inadequate noise insulation in the 1980s–2000s should qualify for a second round of repairs at no fault of their own. The author contends that poor contractor quality, a bankrupt window manufacturer, and dramatically increased flight operations have left many residents without the noise protection they were promised in exchange for signing away air rights. Key recommendations include limiting eligibility to homes originally certified under the 65 dB DNL noise contour, using certified engineers to assess repair needs, and tying funding criteria to documented increases in aircraft operations over time.

In this October 2020 letter, Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbrueck responds to Councilmember Harris's inquiry about funding repairs for previously installed, failed noise mitigation packages near Sea-Tac Airport. Steinbrueck clarifies that the Commission's Motion 2020-04 was focused on accelerating existing Part 150 sound insulation projects, not on addressing failed installations, and that no formal program for a 'second chance' noise remedy has been approved. The Port cites COVID-19 financial impacts, lack of federal reimbursement, and the need for more information from the Councilmember as key obstacles to pursuing any new program.

A bill introduced in the 116th Congress by Representative Smith of Washington would allow airports to receive additional federal funding under the Airport Improvement Program for noise mitigation projects on buildings that have already received such assistance. The bill would permit the Secretary of Transportation to waive the usual restriction on repeat federal funding if increased aircraft noise, deteriorating soundproofing, or damage caused by prior mitigation work justifies further action. Eligible buildings must fall within the DNL 65 noise standard and be certified by a state-licensed building inspector, making this legislation particularly relevant to communities near high-traffic airports like Seattle-Tacoma International.