But Not Because It's a Stupid Sop to Airport-Haters and Developers

There's good news, and there's bad news.

First, the good news: the airport-destroying facilitation of the NIMBYs who are so intent on turning over the Boca Raton (FL) airport to developers is being stopped. The airport was paying a reported grand a month to rent software to track complaints, and foster their sharing on its website.

Now, the bad news: there is going to be a new system installed to take its place. And you're paying for it.

The really bad news is, the old system wasn't pulled because it was a dumb idea; it was pulled because a rival software company threatened a patent infringement lawsuit.

The new system, though, may not be such a bad thing. Instead of relying on the agitated NIMBYs' own guesses as to how much noise the targeted airplanes are making, the new system, to be purchased by the airport with FAA money, will measure actual noise levels.

$645,000 of the the FAA's $1.14 million grant will be used to keep track of noise

The old system didn't do that nearly so well; it registered complaints, which may have been of a subjective nature.

We put in a call in to the FAA, to see how such a large approval of grant monies could have become available so very fast. Christopher White, in the FAA's Atlanta office, told us that, "$645,000 is allocated for a noise monitoring system... It is no different [in its timing] from any other grant."

He added, "They started a Part 150 noise study in 1999, with a $200,000 grant." The ongoing study covers both noise exposure maps and noise-compatibility program -- how the airport will implement a noise program, once data are gathered. Noise exposure maps -- computer simulations -- show where aircraft noise is loudest. It's not based on data -- it's a model. Specific-type aircraft that operate from Boca are modeled.

Mr. White continued, "They'll get six fixed monitors, and one portable. Alterations can be made to the [computer modeling] program, based on these results." He did not know where the equipment would come from. "FAA does not have an approved vendor list; it is up to the airport to buy the equipment."

The money showed up in a week, but that's 'not atypical.'

"Boca mentioned its need for the equipment, informally, in March of 2002, and made a formal request on August 15 of this year," he told us, "and the FAA executed the grant on August 22."

One week?

"That date was based on when funds were released. We do not view this as atypical," White noted; then he added, lest we get spoiled by the FAA's quick response time, "It's also not atypical for this to take a number of months -- it depends on the availability of funds to us."

Noise is monitored constantly, and a "weighted average" is used, to determine probable NIMBY irritation levels. "Weighted" means that it's not the real average -- night noises are given more "weight" than day noises. The actual weighting (as well as who would do the weighting, and what revisions in weighting would be made, if the results didn't come out "right") wasn't known at press time.

Wouldn't the readings in the winter (when the ground is dry and hard and realtively barren) be different from those taken in midsummer (when the ground is wet and soft, and the foliage is full)? Probably, but it doesn't matter, for the purposes of the study. It's not the noise from the airplane that matters, really; it's the result of that noise on the ground. So, if the noise is louder during one season vs another, well, it's louder -- what the airplane puts out isn't nearly so important as the noise level that lands on the guy who's trying to enjoy his barbeque.

If the noise monitors don't show that the people below are being rational in their complaints, it's still quite possible that the airport will decide to buy their land, or pay to soundproof their houses. That may be cheaper than fighting the expected frivolous, groundless lawsuits.

[There is one other possibility: perhaps the airplanes are really illegally loud. We may find out, depending on how non-political that "weighting" system is --ed.]

FMI: www.faa.gov