TagNoise Mitigation(218)

These documents relate to airport noise insulation programs and community advocacy efforts. The first section describes San Francisco International Airport's Replacement and Second Chance Noise Insulation Initiative, which offers free acoustical improvements—such as window replacement and ventilation installation—to eligible homeowners within the 65-decibel noise contour. The accompanying letter, written by a member of the League of Quiet Skies Voters, calls for gathering comparative data on noise mitigation programs from major airports across the country, with the goal of holding the Port of Seattle accountable by benchmarking its practices against peer airports.

The Port of Seattle Airport Neighbor Community Accords (proposed November 2018) is a citizen-drafted proposal calling on the Port of Seattle to prioritize the health and well-being of communities surrounding Sea-Tac International Airport. It argues that these neighborhoods bear an unfair burden from aircraft noise and environmental impacts without adequate compensation, and that the Port's 2018 bylaw changes weakened its commitments to quality of life, environmental stewardship, and community collaboration. The document outlines six specific accords, including demands for independent audits of mitigation spending, a nighttime curfew, prioritization of tax levy funds for community mitigation, and reduced use of the 3rd runway until mitigation goals are met.

The StART Aviation Noise Working Group held its first meeting on August 16, 2018, bringing together community stakeholders, airlines, the FAA, and Port of Seattle representatives to discuss strategies for reducing aircraft noise around Sea-Tac Airport. The group reviewed four potential near-term approaches—including a Runway Use Agreement, a Nighttime Voluntary Curfew, Glide Slope and Optimized Profile Descent Analysis, and an Airfield Noise/Reverse Thrust Assessment—all of which were deemed worthy of further exploration. The group agreed to meet monthly and outlined next steps, including gathering night-operations data and drafting a formal work program to guide future action.

The Federal Way Mayor's Quiet and Healthy Skies Task Force Report (August 2018) examines the noise and health impacts of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's Third Runway on Federal Way neighborhoods. It presents runway usage statistics from 2007–2017 showing a dramatic rise in flight operations, and references a 1997 impact mitigation study that identified over $148 million in recommended sound insulation and avigation easements for Federal Way communities affected by overflight noise.

The City of Phoenix Aviation Department's 2018 Annual Noise Report covers noise exposure trends across Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT), and Phoenix Goodyear (GYR) airports for calendar year 2018. The report recorded 434,252 total operations at PHX, 53,280 noise complaints, and a 99.65% compliance rate with noise abatement procedures. Key highlights include FAA community workshops, implementation of updated flight departure routes, renewal of the Noise and Operations Management System contract, and passage of the FAA Reauthorization bill containing nearly 20 noise-related provisions.

In an October 2017 email to Burien City Council members, resident Sharyn Parker critiques a letter from Port of Seattle Chairman Tom Albro defending Sea-Tac Airport's expansion and noise mitigation efforts. She argues that Albro's response fails to address the real-world impacts of rapidly increasing flight operations—including a 9% annual average flight increase—on surrounding communities, and that the Port's noise modeling data is outdated and understates actual activity by 51%. Parker calls on the Council to challenge what she characterizes as the Port's lack of candor and possible intentional underestimation of flight projections to avoid costly noise and air quality mitigation requirements.

In an October 2017 email, Burien Advisory Committee member Sharyn writes to council members Nancy Tosta and Debi Wagner to propose revisions to a draft council resolution concerning Sea-Tac Airport noise and growth. She argues that Sea-Tac's 2013-2018 Part 150 Study severely underestimated actual flight operations by 51%, which has minimized noise mitigation efforts for South King County residents. She calls for updated noise modeling, a reduction in operational levels, and an end to flights over Seahurst, warning that without immediate action, residents could face nearly 1,500 additional flights per day by 2025 with no mitigation relief for another decade.