TagNoise(258)

This document is Appendix N of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study Update, compiled by Landrum & Brown in October 2013. It contains the FAA's official approval, dated August 19, 2010, of the aviation activity forecast submitted by Sea-Tac Airport in July 2010. The FAA determined that the forecast provided adequate justification for total aircraft operations and authorized its use in the airport's Noise Compatibility Plan Update.

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs submitted formal scoping comments in February 2010 criticizing the planned Part 150 noise study at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as too narrow in scope and insufficient in public participation opportunities. The comments call for improvements in study documentation standards, including proper indexing, clear citations, author transparency, and plain-English presentation of data. The commission also urges that public comment periods be at least 60 days and not scheduled around major holidays.

This December 2009 presentation by Kenneth J. Plotkin of Wyle Laboratories examines the history of aviation noise impact research, tracing how noise metrics evolved over time and what was learned—or lost—along the way. It outlines the FAA's Aviation Noise Impacts Research Roadmap, whose goals include improving understanding of annoyance and sleep disruption, developing exposure-to-impact assessments, and informing policy, mitigation strategies, and cost-benefit models. The presentation emphasizes the importance of learning from past research efforts to avoid repeating mistakes in future noise policy decisions.

A Swiss study interviewed 67 patients with obstructive sleep apnea who used CPAP therapy to estimate the monetary value people place on undisturbed sleep. Patients valued a good night's sleep at an average of about 70 Swiss francs per night, and after adjusting for the difference in severity between sleep apnea and traffic noise disturbance, the researchers estimated that noise-free sleep is worth roughly 7 to 24 Swiss francs per person per night. The findings suggest that sleep disrupted by road traffic noise carries a significant monetary cost that should be factored into airport and transportation noise policy decisions.