Photo credit: Tolka Rover licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
To read that another airport, this time the Dublin Airport, is being protested by nearby residents because of the noise that its planes have imposed on them is not surprising. With Dublin, it was the opening of a new runway that has resulted in many low transatlantic jets flying over people’s homes. In response to the protest, Dublin Airport spokespersons state there is no easy fix but until the issues can be resolved the runway will be restricted to between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The airport has also pledged that some homes would also receive noise mitigation.
Andrew Lynch’s article notes that Dublin Airport has had a number of problems in 2022, e. g. missing bags, missing flights, and long security lines. Thus, the noise situation is another problem for the airport and a serious intrusion on the lives of nearby residents. The residents quoted in the article describe the noise as causing pain in the chest and saying they can’t hear people right next to them. One person said that “it is the most horrific experience that I’ve ever had to endure.”
The article rightfully points out that nighttime noise is “a significant hazard to human health.” Recognizing this, one would hope that Dublin Airport will be able to move quickly in resolving the noise issue.
