Airport Noise: Insulation Programs Remain the Best Solution

Look out the window when taking off in a commercial jet, and unless you’re in a desolate location, you’re bound to see houses and other signs of life not too far from the runways. While those of us who live in large cities are generally adjusted to the occasional noise from an overhead plane, people who live within the immediate vicinity of a major airport have to deal with airport noise beyond what most folks are deem bearable. To make matters more complicated, some airports are adding runways or increasing traffic (if the area is growing), thus extending the airport noise radii under protest from citizens and advocacy groups. But the good news is that, since this form of pollution gained recognition in the 1970s and 1980s, communities have continued to take positive steps in recognizing and mitigating airport noise.

There are three main ways to reduce airport noise – or at least soften its impact The first is to improve the design of planes so that they make less noise when circling, taxiing, landing, and (most important) when taking off. But even as aircraft manufacturers have tweaked jets over the years, the fact is they’re always going to be extremely loud, no matter what minor adjustments engineers make to drop a few notches on the noise meter. A quiet 747 engine just doesn’t happen.

The second way to reduce airport noise is to alter airport operations. This can involve reorienting the paths that planes take, changing schedules, and implementing measures as drastic as a nightly plane curfew (which is what US Representative Crowley advocates for his LaGuardia district in New York). Given the economic importance of airports in our dense urban centers, though, changes to airport operations are rarely feasible, fraught with hard-to-win political battles and trade-offs which only shift the noise patterns to different times or vicinities.

So, the third – and most common – solution to airport noise involves shielding and masking the effects from nearby residents through barriers and insulation. While citizens living near airports will still suffer some noise pollution, these smaller-scale environmental changes allow airports to maintain their vital operations while reducing the nuisance of aircraft noise, at least while people are indoors trying to sleep, watch TV, or carry on a conversation without interruption. The goal is to nullify, or at least muffle, airport noise in homes and schools with aircraft noise pollution levels over a certain decibel threshold -usually 65 dbA.

Some of the nation’s busiest airports have had success with this approach to airport noise abatement. Chicago’s O’Hare – truly one of the world’s hubs – maintains a residential insulation program that the noise commission proudly describes as “aggressive” and even a model for other communities From 1996 to 2004, nearly 6000 qualified homes received insulation, with a resident satisfaction rate of well over 90%. Including dwellings in both northwest Chicago and a number of affected suburbs, the program has cost hundreds of millions of dollars (at least $450 million) but has dramatically improved the quality of life and property value for residents without disrupting the major airport’s 24-7 operations. In addition to the residential insulation program, the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission also operates a similar program for schools to help ensure that students can learn with fewer airport noise distractions. At present, over 100 schools have been outfitted or are in the planning process for insulation.

While airport noise may not be something everyone in this country thinks about on a daily basis, it is to some degree everyone’s issue. After all, anyone who’s ever flown – even once – has been part of the problem. The noise pollution caused by airports will never be solved entirely because airports are just too vital to our culture and commerce, but insulation programs remain the most feasible answerâÂ?¦and a surprisingly deft example of democracy in action. All around the country, citizens come together with local officials to pursue programs like the one offered to O’Hare area residents: Seattle, Kansas City, and Cleveland are just a few of the cities that have provided ameliorative action for those affected by airport noise. Though below most of our personal radars, these abatement projects are proof that, although progress takes time and patience, citizens can indeed band together and advocate for their quality of life by partnering with the government.