CLIPBOARD : Sound Off !

Caltrans’ division of aeronautics has established guidelines to control the amount of noise generated over residential areas by aircraft using the state’s airports. Under those guidelines, any area exposed to an average Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) of more than 65 in a year is considered to be noise-impacted.

To comply with those regulations, John Wayne Airport has set up nine stations at locations in Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Tustin and Irvine to monitor noise levels. Some stations are on private property and others on public land at the following locations:

MONITOR STATIONS

M-1: 2139 Anniversary Lane, Newport Beach

M-2: 1907 Tradewinds Lane, Newport Beach

M-3: 2601 Vista del Oro, Newport Beach

M-5: 17952 Beneta Way, Tustin

M-8: 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach

M-9: 1300 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana

M-10: Golf Course, 3100 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach

M-11: 20152 S. Birch St., Santa Ana

M-14: 17372 Eastman St., Irvine

The stations monitor the noise levels on a daily basis. The average daily levels, which are also averaged for each month, are “the result of a computer analysis based on county-provided data including flight tracks, actual traffic counts, average (Single Event Noise Exposure Levels) by aircraft model and recorded CNEL values for each monitor station,� according to the quarterly report from the airport’s noise abatement office.

COMMUNITY NOISE EQUIVALENT LEVELS

Monthly averages: July-September, 1990 *

Month M-1 M-2 M-3 M-5 M-8 M-9 M-10 M-11 M-14 July 64.1 62.5 55.4 57.3 57.1 47.4 65.1 63.8 66.6 August 64.8 60.4 55.2 52.6 57.5 49.9 65.3 64.4 65.4 September 64.3 61.3 53.7 55.2 56.1 44.5 64.9 63.7 65.5

* Most recent data available

TELEPHONE COMPLAINT CALLS

July-September, 1990

The airport’s noise abatement office logs noise complaints from local residents. During the third quarter of 1990, the office received 1,368 noise complaints, a 95% increase from the number of complaints received the previous quarter and a 115% increase compared to the third quarter of 1989.

Tustin/Orange Third quarter: 47 Second quarter: 33 First quarter: 46 Santa Ana Third quarter: 61 Second quarter: 35 First quarter: 26 Santa Ana Heights Third quarter: 94 Second quarter: 73 First quarter: 46 Costa Mesa Third quarter: 46 Second quarter: 23 First quarter: 8 Westcliff, Newport Beach Third quarter: 254 Second quarter: 37 First quarter: 31 Eastbluff, Newport Beach Third quarter: 221 Second quarter: 171 First quarter: 110 Balboa/Corona del Mar Third quarter: 562 Second quarter: 285 First quarter: 112 Other areas Third quarter: 53 Second quarter: 46 First quarter: 34 Source: John Wayne Airport