KCIA Study Breaks New Ground

   Something very unusual is happening at King County International Airport (KCIA) - or Boeing Field to older residents. Many readers will know that KCIA is sponsoring a study of possible ways to mitigate its noise.  (A similar study is just winding down at Sea-Tac, while the KCIA study is just underway.)  If airports wish to gain grants from the FAA for noise-mitigation purposes, they must first conduct a "Part 150 study".
   The usual mitigation measures include buy-out of properties and insulation of homes & other buildings near the airport.  The boundaries for buy-out and insulation zones are set on the basis of noise studies, and the Airport has hired a consultant to conduct the analysis.
   What's unusual, and commendable, is the Airport and consultant are using actual monitoring to measure noise, rather than relying solely on computer modeling.  Also, quite unusually, they have agreed to measure and map Airport-related noise in a far broader way than is customary.  In addition to the dubious 65 DNL metric, noise maps have been prepared in two other, more representative metrics, single-event level (SEL) and time above (TA).  This is not the place to explain these:  take our word that using these measurements provides more accurate mapping of real-world noise.
   Even more unusual is the fact that the consultant has prepared and published noise maps that include both KCIA noise and Sea-Tac noise on t he same sheet of paper!  This is a first in Part 150 studies.

(See KCIA Study on p. 2)

   SCAA Challenges County Permit for Classic Helicopter Expansion

   The SCAA Board has authorized an appeal of the Determination of Non-significance announced by the King County DDES for the expansion of Classic Helicopters' facility at Boeing Field.  The expansion will create a new $2.4 million facility for Classic Helicopters, which includes doubling their hangar space.
   "To say this proposal would have no significant environmental impacts is preposterous" said SCAA President Mike Rees.  "Helicopters are notorious as noise producers", he said, "and the way Classic Helicopters' lease is set up they can have all the noisiest, largest helicopters operating from Boeing Field 24 hours a day, without limitations". In addition there are surface and ground water issues that have not been addressed, and the pr oject appears to be another opportunity for the airport to piecemeal major development without a SEPA review.  The appeal will be heard by a King County Hearing Examiner later this fall.
   A similar appeal brought by SCAA concerning a corporate hangar development at Boeing Field earlier this year resulted in the applicant conceding to only operate Stage III (quietest) corporate jets, and also agreed to conduct additional soil contamination analysis, before proceeding with the project.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

KCIA Part 150 Editorial p.1
KCIA Jet Center Challenge  p. 1
Upcoming Events p. 1
KCIA Combined Noise Contour p. 2
Sea-Tac Part 150 Updates  p. 3
"Seen, Heard, Said…" p. 4
SCAA Board Changes p. 4