Blog 7-2: The Airport and Environment

Noise Pollution

    When it comes to airports, it is inevitable that the constant occurrence of noise is always going to be an issue in the industry. In my opinion, noise pollution carries the weight of most of the environmental impacts.

    Noise is generally referred to as unwanted sound that can negatively disrupt human or animal life (Murphy, E. 2015). Environmental noise has been defined as any unwanted sound created by human activities that is considered harmful or detrimental to human health and quality of life. Aircraft have been probably the most dramatic of the man-made noise sources which are heard by the community, especially in the vicinity of an airport. Not only does this effect personnel working at the airport, but an increasing number of people live in the vicinity of major airports and experience considerable noise and air pollution. Investigators have studied health effects associated with exposure to aircraft noise. The most common issues lead to moderate to severe hearing loss. Military personnel are more vulnerable to experience hearing loss whether it be minor or complete loss.

    Even thought noise pollution is always going to be around, there are ways to help lessen the burden. This is an issue that is internationally known, and the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END) has alright taken a strategic approach with noise action planning. Noise action planning under the END is the worlds largest and most ambitious program of strategic noise reduction (Murphy, E. 2015). The noise action plan will generally set noise reduction targets, describe measures it will take to achieve those targets, establish reduction priorities and a realistic schedule for implementation of abatement measures, and much more.

    Now with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they are also taking action on reducing the noise. The FAA is going forward with an effort to establish noise certification standards for supersonic aircraft. The FAA proposes to define a class of supersonic aircraft called "Supersonic Level 1", which would encompass supersonic aircraft with maximum takeoff weight of 68,000kg (150,000lb) and maximum operating cruise speeds of M1.8 (Hemmerdinger, J. 2020). This proposal would address the noise issue of those aircraft traveling at less than subsonic speeds within the United States.

    That is only a couple examples of how domestic and foreign territories are tackling this noise pollution issue. I believe that individuals could use appropriate hearing protection to help limit the lasting effects of noise and I would recommend that communities should have a regulated distance to which they can be built and established to help avoid formal complaints from annoyed citizens.

 

Word Count: 426


References:

Murphy, E., & King, E. (2015). Environmental noise pollution : noise mapping, public health, and policy  (First edition.). Elsevier.

Hemmerdinger, J. (2020). FAA proposes noise standards for new class of supersonic civilian jets DVV Media International Ltd



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