Hearing on Bradley Noise Exposure Maps Scheduled for Thursday

The following is a news release distributed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation:   

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) is preparing an update to the Noise Exposure Maps (NEM) for Bradley International Airport (BDL).

The NEMs were last updated as part of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 150 Noise Study for BDL that concluded back in late 2003. The study is funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and the airport.   

An additional Public Informational Meeting (PIM) is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2013 at the Windsor Locks High School, Windsor Locks, CT at 7:00 p.m. to review the updated NEM.  

This NEM update for BDL will re-evaluate the existing and future noise contours generated by aircraft operations at BDL. BDL-generated noise will be evaluated for existing conditions (2013) and for a five-year forecast condition (2018). 

The overall goal of the BDL NEM Update Study is to update the noise contours and to address aircraft noise impacts in surrounding communities. In this noise study, the noise metric used to determine land use compatibility is the Day-Night Average Noise Level (DNL). The FAA uses a DNL of 65 decibels (dB) as the threshold of compatibility for noise-sensitive land uses such as homes, schools, places of worship and hospitals.   

Previous airport environmental studies have determined that BDL generates off-airport noise that exceeds federal guidelines in noise sensitive areas (e.g., residential areas). To evaluate and address noise exposure and impacts, ConnDOT, owner and operator of BDL, committed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that an update to the noise analysis and land use planning would be conducted.

The public is encouraged to attend the April 11, 2013 information meeting to offer their opinions regarding the update to the NEMs.  

Questions concerning this meeting or the NEM Study can be referred to Mr. Robert J. Bruno, Chief of Engineering Services, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aviation at (860) 594-2535.

Editor's Note: For information on a previous hearing held in March, read this story on Windsor Locks-East Windsor Patch.