The United States has continually been subjected to increased noise pollution as advancements in technology progressed. To address the issue of noise pollution, the United States has adopted various legislation including the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, Noise Control Act of 1972, Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979, and the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 (Jenkins, 1994) . In the initial stages of aviation, minimal conflicts existed between airport proprietors and owners of land near airports over noise. With the coming of the jet age and rapid expansion of air travel leading to airport expansions and larger louder aircraft, noise pollution has accompanied these developments and created a tussle between airport proprietors and land and property owners around the airport amidst concerns of growing dangers to the welfare and health of the nation’s population are presented by inadequate controlled noise (Benjamin, 2000) .
Community noise concerns especially from those settled around airports and those located in their flight paths, have contributed to various legislation and restrictions by state and local authorities. Other concerns occasioning such efforts have included complains that airplane noise reduced the value of land around airports (Jenkins, 1994) . Such efforts, however, have been accompanied by uncontrolled and inconsistent aviation restrictions which could be detrimental to the national air transportation system. Legislation in controlling airport noise has often pitched the interests of land owners around the airport against airlines’ interests. The ANCA was an effort towards striking a balance on society’s interests, land owners around airports and the expansion of airports and airlines (Benjamin, 2000) .
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The ANCA, passed by Congress in response to lobbying efforts by the air industry, was a deliberate attempt towards the integration of rising numbers of personalized noise restriction imposed on airports by local authorities. It was an emphasis from Congress on a national policy considerate of local interests in aviation management. ANCA was an attempt to balance the airlines’ interest and those of communities residing near airports. It directed the establishment of a national aviation policy tasked with the review of airport noise. ANCA also called for the phasing out of noisiest and oldest planes, referred to as stage 2 aircraft, and 100% acquisition of stage 3 aircraft by 2000 (Jenkins, 1994) .
Various alternative actions would be necessary to bridge the chasm between airport proprietors’ and land owners’ interests, including the Continuous Lower Emission, Energy, and Noise Program (CLEEN) program. CLEEN program addresses noise through a reduction of aircraft noise by 32 decibels and an integration of technologies with the potential to reduce aircraft noise, such as open rotor and geared turbofan engines. Another alternative action is the adoption of a balance approach to airport noise reduction. This approach would be implemented without impeding the growth of air traffic. The 2001 Balanced Approach by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one such action, and besides noise reduction at source, it also identifies sustainable noise reduction’s elements as land use management, operating restrictions and procedures in noise reduction (IATA, 2014) .
Recommendations
An examination of the existing federal legislation in the regulation of airport noise.
Adoption of an integrated and comprehensive approach that strikes a balance between the airlines’ interests for growth and the noise concern by inhabitants around airport areas.
The development and adoption of futuristic technologies in aircraft and engine production which will result in reduced noise emissions by aircraft.
The close collaboration between federal government’s efforts and local efforts to reduce airport noise pollution in a sustainable fashion beneficial to both the national and local interests.
References
Benjamin, D. (2000). What’s All the Racket Over Airport Noise? Retrieved April 28, 2018, from PERC: https://www.perc.org/2000/06/01/whats-all-the-racket-over-airport-noise/
IATA. (2014). Reducing Noise . Retrieved April 28, 2018, from Airlines IATA: http://airlines.iata.org/analysis/reducing-noise
Jenkins, J. J. (1994). The Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990: Has Congress Finally Solved the Aircraft Noise Problem. Journal of Air Law and Commerce, 59 .
