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: Golf Course, 3100 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach

M-2: 20152 S. Birch St., Santa Ana

M-3: 2139 Anniversary Lane, Newport Beach

M-4: 1907 Tradewinds Lane, Newport Beach

M-5: 2601 Vista del Oro, Newport Beach

M-6: 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach

M-7: 17952 Beneta Way, Tustin

M-8: 1300 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana

M-9: 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. During the fourth quarter, erroneous information for single event noise levels was recorded at the Tradewinds Lane station (M-4), and thus no information is available for that site.

COMMUNITY NOISE EQUIVALENT LEVELS

Monthly averages: October-December, 1990 *

Month M-1 M-2 M-3 M-4 M-5 M-6 M-7 M-8 M-9 October 65.6 64.6 64.0 -- 52.9 55.4 56.2 48.2 66.2 November 65.0 63.5 64.4 -- 52.5 55.0 55.4 52.0 65.5 December 64.2 62.8 63.3 -- 52.7 54.1 54.4 49.1 64.9

* Most recent data available

TELEPHONE COMPLAINT CALLS

October-December, 1990

The airport’s noise abatement office logs noise complaints from local residents. During the fourth quarter of 1990, the office received 1,069 noise complaints, a 22% decrease from the number of complaints received the previous quarter and a 107% increase contrasted with the fourth quarter of 1989.

first second third fourth quarter quarter quarter quarter Tustin/Orange 46 33 47 52 Santa Ana 26 35 61 18 Santa Ana Heights 46 73 94 61 Costa Mesa 8 23 46 19 Westcliff, Newport Beach 31 37 254 285 Eastbluff, Newport Beach 110 171 221 117 Balboa/Corona del Mar 112 285 592 496 Other areas 34 46 53 21

Source: John Wayne Airport