TagNoise(258)

The Beacon Hill Seattle Community Noise Team, a group of neighborhood residents working with the University of Washington, has been documenting the disproportionate impact of Sea-Tac Airport aircraft noise on their community. Building on decades of prior advocacy—including a landmark April 2000 report by Citizens for Aircraft Noise Equity—the team highlights that official noise impact assessments still rely on mathematical models rather than actual measured data. Beginning in October 2017, they launched a citizen science effort to conduct systematic, long-term noise measurements throughout the Beacon Hill neighborhood, with a focus on health effects and impacts on children's learning.

A federal appeals court denied petitions challenging the FAA's 2016 SoCal Metroplex project, which redesigned flight paths at several Southern California airports to improve air-traffic efficiency. Residents and local groups argued the FAA failed to adequately study increased noise, air emissions, and cumulative environmental impacts under federal law, but the court found the FAA's environmental analysis was reasonable and legally sound. The court upheld the FAA's Finding of No Significant Impact, concluding the agency had taken the required 'hard look' at environmental consequences before implementing the new flight routes.

A 2018 Boeing presentation by Senior Manager Robert Stoker outlines the aviation industry's progress in reducing aircraft noise and fuel consumption, noting roughly a 90% reduction in noise footprint and 70% improvement in fuel efficiency since the 1950s. The document highlights Boeing's current fleet — the 737 MAX, 747-8, 787, and 777X — each delivering significant reductions in both noise footprint (ranging from 30% to 60% smaller) and fuel/CO2 emissions compared to the models they replace.

The Beacon Hill Seattle Community Noise Team recorded aircraft flying over their neighborhood on August 13, 2018, capturing both video and real-time noise levels using a handheld noise dosimeter. Nine videos from that afternoon show aircraft passing overhead between 12:22 PM and 12:37 PM, with a still image from 12:22 PM displaying a reading of 77.8 decibels on the dosimeter. These recordings were compiled as community evidence of aircraft noise impacts in the Beacon Hill area near Sea-Tac Airport.

Normandy Park City Manager Mark Hoppen outlines the city's efforts to address Sea-Tac Airport noise and air quality concerns, noting that direct lawsuits against the FAA have had limited success. Key initiatives include a joint jurisdictional response to the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, a Washington State baseline airport conditions study, and a University of Washington ultrafine particulates study aimed at building evidence for federal health-based legislation. Residents are encouraged to review two StART Meeting presentations on aircraft noise and arrival altitudes, particularly slide 37 of the Altitude Analysis, which shows an increase in cargo flights potentially linked to local noise complaints.

This May 2018 draft report by ESA analyzes changes in aircraft arrival altitudes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport across 2013, 2015, and 2017, examining how those changes relate to noise exposure for surrounding communities. Key findings from earlier meetings indicate that while overall arrival numbers increased and traffic flow direction remained stable, there was a notable shift in runway use from center runways to right and left runways, along with changes in the mix of narrow-body and wide-body aircraft types serving the airport.

This document presents a community challenge to the FAA's environmental review (CATEX) of new flight routes near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, arguing that the FAA's own noise analyses show significant noise increases in the surrounding General Study Area that exceed the agency's own significance thresholds. The authors contend that the FAA could not rely on the outdated 2013-2018 Port of Seattle Part 150 noise study, and that the FAA's independent analyses revealed noise level jumps ranging from 5.2% to nearly 60% across various decibel contours. The document concludes that the FAA's declaration of 'no noise impacts' is implausible given data showing that portions of previously quiet neighborhoods now experience non-compatible land use noise levels above 65 dB DNL.