Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

US-Citizens Aviation Watch Association

Aug 31, 2000

Noise

People who live and work around airports suffer more than mere annoyance from ascending and descending aircraft. Aircraft noise may significantly impact the mental and physical health of people. Since the 1970s, numerous studies have found aircraft noise linked to:

* stress
* hypertension
* sleep disturbances
* work-related performance
* interference with children's learning, academic performance, and motivation

An Introduction to Airport-Related Air Pollution

Airports and aircraft cause many types of air pollution at many different elevations and at considerable distances. Yet, aviation pollution is generally unregulated. The area heavily contaminated by a two runway airport is approximately 12 miles around and 20 miles or more downwind. A single runway airport can contaminate an area about 6 miles around and 20 miles downwind. Newer aircraft, even though emissions go relatively unseen, could be at least as bad at polluting as older aircraft because of the production of smaller particulate matter, with different combustion processes, different formulations in fuel, etc. Thus, the number of people exposed to aviation pollutants and who are affected in an airport's vicinity can be immense. Studies strongly suggest that aviation could be responsible for over half of the damage attributed to climate change caused by transportation (radiation effect). In comparison to ground transportation with its millions upon millions of vehicles, there are surprisingly few aircraft (34,444 US-civil, 5,778 US-commercial).

Some Facts About Fuel

* One aircraft take-off can burn thousands of pounds of fuel.
* Air pollution levels from one 747 takeoff is similar to setting a gas station on fire and then flying it over your head!
* The pollution from just one, two-minute 747 takeoff is equal to operating 2.4 million lawnmowers simultaneously. That's four states worth!