Coping with noise from new airport

[elef]

Coping with noise from new airport

 

 

 

When Suvarnabhumi airport finally opens its runways to commercial traffic, few will join the celebrations as enthusiastically as residents of communities scattered around the old airport at Don Muang. After decades of being deafened by aircraft screaming skyward, they will be able to enjoy some relative peace and quiet as take-offs slow to a trickle.

 

This joy will not be shared by people living in close proximity to the new airport. Although they will have quick access to domestic and international flights, the price could well be high in terms of stress, noise pollution and sleep disturbances. Theirs will be a problem shared by millions of people around the world who live close to major airports or work in them. While some people have the ability to tune out or ignore a noisy environment, most suffer acute discomfort. In fact, tolerance to the incessant racket generated by busy airports and highways is decreasing. Soundproofing panels can help, but it is expensive and not as effective as those marketing it to think.

 

Avoiding noisy locations is easier said than done, but those who moved to housing estates in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan cannot claim to have been caught by surprise and totally unaware of plans to site the new airport there. After all, it has been on the drawing board since 1962 and plans were being finalised a decade ago. Ideally, certain schools directly under the outbound flight path which will be exposed to noise levels approaching 75 decibels would relocate, but their plight, sad to say, is little worse than that of schools located in the busiest parts of Bangkok, where traffic and other noise has been measured at a constant 80db by the Pollution Control Department.

 

As for the fuss over which runways should be used, there should be only one consideration, and that is: which one of the three take-off and landing scenarios is the safest. The issue should not be whether one disturbs influential Mr X's peace and quiet or that another one would disturb wealthy Ms Y's. Safety must be the only consideration. Once airborne, aircraft usually make a turn, anyway, so no scenario is noise-free. The current plan calls for the use of what the New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA) calls ''Scenario Two'', which could affect more than 3,000 homes, 46 schools and universities, and 76 religious centres. The noise level would be between 65 and 80 decibels and the area affected would reach up to 18.74sqkm from the airport.

 

Under this scenario, the north end of the western and eastern runways would be mainly used for landings. The south end of the eastern runway would be primarily used for take-offs, with the south end of the western runway being left idle for the time being. This means people living southeast of the airport would be hardest hit by aircraft noise as a plane's take-off creates far more noise than the landing.

 

Safety has been cited as the reason for this choice as the alternatives could involve low-level flights over very tall buildings _ a factor in at least two air disasters in recent years. If this is indeed the case, then all well and good, as safety should be the only criteria. If not, expect a major investigation down the road.

 

Two committees have been set up to purchase the land most prone to noise pollution and work out a compensation package for those worst affected, so at least the issue is not being ignored. That is fortunate because medical studies have blamed excessive noise exposure for sleep deprivation, hearing loss, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, heart disease, and psychological trauma. Audiologists have also expressed concern at the amount of hearing damage caused by the high decibel levels of personal stereos, barking dogs, power saws, jackhammers, motorcycles, building construction and heavy traffic. Noise has become a disturbance to the human environment that is escalating at such a high rate it is becoming a major threat to the quality of life. Remember that hearing, once lost, is usually lost forever.

 

Those who are offered fair compensation should consider accepting it. Their problem then lies in finding an alternative location which has been successful in taming Bangkok's roar. Not an easy task.

 

Bangkok Post

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elef said:

When Suvarnabhumi airport finally opens its runways to commercial traffic, few will join the celebrations as enthusiastically as residents of communities scattered around the old airport at Don Muang. After decades of being deafened by aircraft screaming skyward, they will be able to enjoy some relative peace and quiet as take-offs slow to a trickle.

Ya, smart wife recently traded some land for a new, yet incomplete townhouse just south of Don Muang on the thought that it will rise in value when the airport shuts down. I think a good move, even in the current overheated real estate market here. :up:

 

Cheers,

SD

[elef]

Hi SD,

 

sure the Don Muang airport will close - I heard it will be returned to

1. the thai air force

or leased to

2. US air force

 

I think it will be number 1. but used by US air force until they're moving the Okinawa bases to the new base in Cambodia.