The Airport and the Environment

Noise Pollution

Of the listed main environmental impacts (air, noise, and water pollution), it seems as though noise pollution is the most commonly addressed and complained about by the average citizen in close proximity to the airport.  While air and water pollution are very important and have a large impact on the environment, noise pollution is annoying right now.  Unwanted sound is nuisance to the senses and can rally a community in opposition to an airport and the FAA.

Airport managers struggle with the length, frequency, and cumulation of sound levels over time; so much so that they hire companies to study the effects of noise and conduct noise modeling to determine the degree to which noise will have an effect on the population.  An example in the Visser and Wijnen chapter mentioned that even socioeconomic factors are considered because noise tolerance is lower in communities that have more affluent residents. Tools like the Integrated Noise Model are standard methods to determine noise impacts from airports on the civilian community.

 

Denver International Airport, pictured above, moved from Stapleton International Airport out of Denver 25 years ago due to noise issues and safety concerns.

Many airports have decided to move out of built up areas, such as large cities, to avoid the noise impacts to residents in housing communities.  However, Denver International Airport is now being surrounded by housing developments as the suburban areas around Denver expand.  Despite safety warnings and warnings of noise issues, the surrounding cities of Aurora and Commerce City continue to build.  This trend is repeated over and over in many cities like those surrounding DFW International Airport and those Airports in Southern California.

A potential solution is to move 50+ miles from any city and then refuse development of any land within the airspace.  Transportation to and from the terminals could be provided through the use of high speed rail or high speed train.  The Shinkansen in Japan travels nearly 200 miles an hour.  Something like this option would enable transportation in a fraction of time of the normal vehicle airport commute, while allowing for appropriate standoff for noise pollution.

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References:

Aguilar, J. (2020, January 12). Denver airport warns of development “creep” as Aurora gives blessing to new houses nearby. Denver Post. https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/12/dia-aurora-development-runway-noise/

Federal Aviation Administration (n.d.). The FAA Airport Noise Program. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-airport-noise-program

Gallagher, T. (2021, November 16). Noise pollution: How are airports and airlines addressing the issue?. Euronews.next. https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/16/noise-pollution-how-are-airports-and-airlines-addressing-the-issue

Visser, H., & Wijnen, R. (2008). Management of the environmental impact at airport operations. Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated.