SEATAC, Wash. — The Port of Seattle has kicked off a multi-year study to assess the noise impact of planes flying to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on surrounding communities.
It's a study that has been conducted roughly every 10 years since 1985. The last study was conducted in 2014, which means the port's noise impact data is now 10 years old.
Josh Cook, who lives in Burien, said the barrage of noise raining down from airplanes feels constant.
"Quality of life. Living with the noise is a little bit ridiculous. It impacts everything you do," Cook said.
Despite receiving noise mitigation windows from the port in the early 2000s, Cook said they no longer keep the noise out.
"In the beginning, it seemed like a substantial sound mitigation," he said. "The age of the windows, they're all outdated. They should all be replaced."
The study, known as the Part 150 Noise and Land Use Compatibility Study, is a voluntary Federal Aviation Administration program that sets guidelines for airport operators to document aircraft noise exposure and establish noise abatement and compatible land use programs.
According to information from the Port of Seattle website, the study will identify and evaluate two components, aircraft noise levels and land uses, during two distinct phases: Noise Exposure Maps (NEM) and Noise Compatibility Program (NCP). The NEM phase will produce contour maps showing existing and future aircraft sound levels using the FAA-required 65 DNL noise metric. The NCP phase will recommend measures to reduce noise and incompatible land uses within the noise exposure area, including noise abatement measures, noise mitigation measures such as sound insulation programs, and/or preventative measures.
The study will include extensive public engagement throughout the process. The first open house was held on Wednesday evening. The next two will be held:
- June 6, 2024, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mount Rainier High School
- June 8, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Glacier Middle School
The study's outcome will determine a noise remedy boundary area. Residents within the boundary may be eligible for sound insulation.
Tom Fagerstrom, a Noise Program Manager for the Port of Seattle, encouraged residents to come to the open houses with questions.
"We have to make sure we are reaching all the communities that are possibly impacted by noise," he said. The study is expected to be completed by 2027. Port of Seattle Officials hope the study results will help them secure federal funding to address the noise impact on communities surrounding the airport.
Fagerstrom also said windows treated after 1993 are not eligible for any other free soundproofing at this time because that was paid for by a federal program. As part of a different project, the port is assessing the old windows to determine their effectiveness. The results of the project could lead to more money to replace those windows.