Photo credit: Joe Ravi, licensed by CC-BY-SA 3.0
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
The headline of the article “FAA Still Silent on Dulles Airport Noise Concerns” will not be surprising to the many anti-aircraft-noise groups across the United States who have been trying to engage the Federal Aviation Administration in meaningful discussions on airport noise. Loudoun County staff responsible for communities surrounding Dulles Airport reported that they spoke with the Eastern Region Community Engagement Officer on the phone in late May who told them they would be receiving a response to their written communications. As of late June, no response had been received.
The county then hired a consulting firm to come up with ways to mitigate the noise from aircraft at Dulles Airport. The Board of Supervisors also wrote to the FAA in response to its request for comments on noise policies. It suggested that the FAA provide funding to landowners affected by noise “to support noise abatement work.”
The county’s letter to the FAA also suggested that airports, including Dulles, be required to publish noise studies focusing on short- and long-term plans to address aircraft noise. Earlier studies of this kind led to some changes at Dulles. However, aircraft noise is still a problem and needs to be examined further.
