Monterey Peninsula Airport
Noise
Airport Proprietors are primarily responsible for planning and implementing action designed to reduce the effect of noise on residents of the surrounding area. Such actions include optimal site location, improvements in airport design, noise abatement ground procedures, land acquisition, and restrictions on airport use that do not unjustly discriminate against any user, impede the federal interest in safety and management of the air navigation system, or unreasonably interfere with interstate or foreign commerce.
4.Airport Noise Policy
To bring about further relief from excessive aircraft noise, airport proprietors are encouraged to develop aggressive noise abatement programs for their airports. The FAA will assist proprietors in attaining their noise abatement goals and will advise them on how their proposed plans affect the overall air transportation system. The FAA will accept preliminary proposals from airport sponsors for comprehensive noise abatement plans and will fund a select number of innovative noise abatement model plans and demonstrations. In addition, the FAA will encourage noise abatement plans from airport proprietors in conjunction with both applications for major airport development grants and proposals to establish use restrictions, such as curfews or scheduling and equipment restrictions. The FAA will advise airport operators whether proposed use restrictions are unjustly discriminatory or place an undue burden on interstate or foreign commerce because of their impact on the national air transportation system. Where necessary, the FAA will seek adjudication of the constitutional issues involved if it believes that a use restriction established at an airport is unjustly discriminatory or creates an undue burden on interstate or foreign air commerce.
E. Local Actions
While federal action will form the basis of our program, substantial Local action will be necessary to complement the noise reduction actions of the federal government and air carriers. Since a federal program would be significantly less effective without commensurate local actions, we have delineated those actions we believe local authorities should take.
The FAA will encourage airport proprietors, who are legally responsible for the effect of aircraft noise on the surrounding community, to assess their particular noise problem and, where local authorities determine that there is a significant problem, to develop an action plan to reduce the impact of noise. That action plan should include a program to ensure maximum land use compatibility with airport operations both by the acquisition of easements or other rights in the use of land or airspace and by encouraging local governments to adopt and enforce zoning or other land use controls. It should also address other actions that may be taken, such as the establishment of a formal noise abatement runway system, control of ground operations, and preferential arrival and departure routes. The proprietor may wish to propose to the FAA special landing and takeoff procedures to deal with any unique conditions around his airport.
In addition, state and local governments with jurisdiction over property adjacent to airports must take action of their own, preferably in cooperation with the local airport proprietor. State and local governments are directly and uniquely responsible for ensuring that land use planning and zoning and land development activities in areas surrounding airports are consistent with the objective of ensuring land use that is compatible with present and projected aircraft noise exposure in the area. Construction standards for new buildings should ensure appropriate insulation from aircraft noise, and programs to insulate existing public and residential buildings should be advanced where needed.
State and local governments also should require that appropriate notice of airport noise exposure be provided to the purchasers of real estate and to prospective residents in areas near airports to ensure awareness of the nature of the airport environs.
F. Concluding Note
With realistic public appreciation for the complexity of the task to be performed and with full and open communication and cooperation among the participants, the actions that each of us take separately pursuant to this policy will contribute toward significant and recognizable progress in the reduction of the adverse effect of aircraft noise on airport neighbors.