Comment:
I've lived in Ewa Beach for 14 years and over the last few years the jet landing noise is becoming unbearable. The landings are sometimes minutes apart and basically all day. I'm sure it's related to the tourists numbers increasing to ~9 million and also increased military activity. The F22's are well above the 80 dB level and requires plugging your hears due to discomfort. There is no sugarcane here now and in its place are 10's of thousands of people subjected to this uncivilized treatment. There is a reef runway where landings are silent for Oahu residents and should be utilized (and expanded) to stop this extreme noise pollution.
Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,
You're correct about the unacceptable noise of the military aircraft that operate from O'ahu, and that the noise is increasing. Each generation of military aircraft are more powerful, and that power increase has resulted in aircraft that are noisier than the models they replace. I'm certain that you can appreciate that the military isn't forthcoming in working with the public beyond lip service in implementing true noise abatement, and the City and Country and State are not inclined to push the issue for their dependence on the military for so much of our economy.
That said, let us refer you to the Noise Reference Manual for O'ahu on our site at the this link http://www.quieteroahu.com/reporting-noise-violations.html . At page 6 of the manual you'll find that the FAA does not regulate aircraft noise but they will nonetheless accept reports of excessive noise, as will the State DOT Airports Division. Phone numbers for each are provided in the manual at page 6. Give them a call (and an earful) and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. It can't hurt.
For anything meaningful to happen, however, it will require that our city council and legislature become involved to impress upon the military the need for better noise abatement practices for their aircraft. You can Google "noise abatement practices military aircraft" and find numerous ways that such practices have been implemented elsewhere. So, how do you get city and state government involved? A first step is to mobilize your community through your neighborhood board. Attend the meetings, register for speaker time and make your case to other members of the community. If your neighborhood board believes this is an issue worthy of support, they can escalate to city and county, and city and county can escalate to state. One voice speaking-out can be powerful, and the catalyst through which others will find the will to engage. You are not alone in your frustration, there are many others that we hear from regularly who share your view. You can find links to neighborhood board schedules and procedure on our website at http://www.quieteroahu.com/things-you-can-do.html .
We have added you to distro for emails on the topic of noise and related issues across O'ahu and Hawai'i. Mahalo for contacting Quieter O'ahu. We will post your note and our comments (without names or contact info) so that others visiting our site might benefit from your thoughts.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu
I've lived in Ewa Beach for 14 years and over the last few years the jet landing noise is becoming unbearable. The landings are sometimes minutes apart and basically all day. I'm sure it's related to the tourists numbers increasing to ~9 million and also increased military activity. The F22's are well above the 80 dB level and requires plugging your hears due to discomfort. There is no sugarcane here now and in its place are 10's of thousands of people subjected to this uncivilized treatment. There is a reef runway where landings are silent for Oahu residents and should be utilized (and expanded) to stop this extreme noise pollution.
Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,
You're correct about the unacceptable noise of the military aircraft that operate from O'ahu, and that the noise is increasing. Each generation of military aircraft are more powerful, and that power increase has resulted in aircraft that are noisier than the models they replace. I'm certain that you can appreciate that the military isn't forthcoming in working with the public beyond lip service in implementing true noise abatement, and the City and Country and State are not inclined to push the issue for their dependence on the military for so much of our economy.
That said, let us refer you to the Noise Reference Manual for O'ahu on our site at the this link http://www.quieteroahu.com/reporting-noise-violations.html . At page 6 of the manual you'll find that the FAA does not regulate aircraft noise but they will nonetheless accept reports of excessive noise, as will the State DOT Airports Division. Phone numbers for each are provided in the manual at page 6. Give them a call (and an earful) and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. It can't hurt.
For anything meaningful to happen, however, it will require that our city council and legislature become involved to impress upon the military the need for better noise abatement practices for their aircraft. You can Google "noise abatement practices military aircraft" and find numerous ways that such practices have been implemented elsewhere. So, how do you get city and state government involved? A first step is to mobilize your community through your neighborhood board. Attend the meetings, register for speaker time and make your case to other members of the community. If your neighborhood board believes this is an issue worthy of support, they can escalate to city and county, and city and county can escalate to state. One voice speaking-out can be powerful, and the catalyst through which others will find the will to engage. You are not alone in your frustration, there are many others that we hear from regularly who share your view. You can find links to neighborhood board schedules and procedure on our website at http://www.quieteroahu.com/things-you-can-do.html .
We have added you to distro for emails on the topic of noise and related issues across O'ahu and Hawai'i. Mahalo for contacting Quieter O'ahu. We will post your note and our comments (without names or contact info) so that others visiting our site might benefit from your thoughts.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu