Researchers Study Airport Noise, Pollution

The FAA is calling on the country’s best and brightest to cut noise and pollution around airports. Administrator Marion Blakey announced that seven U.S. universities will conduct research into all aspects of the broad-ranging topics with the goal of a cleaner and quieter environment at airports. They’re part of the FAA’s new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Aircraft Noise and Aviation Emissions. There are also 18 companies and other institutions taking part in the research. Purdue University, in Indiana, will tackle some of the most vexing questions to plague airport planners. The Purdue team will try to figure out how people react to aircraft noise and to understand why, if airports are such noisy, filthy places, do we insist on building our homes and businesses so near them. “The center research and development efforts will concentrate on a broad spectrum of noise and emissions mitigation issues, including socio-economic effects, noise abatement flight procedures, compatible land-use management, airport operational controls and atmospheric and health effects,” said a Purdue news release.