The Impact of Proposed F-35 Basing in the Tucson Metropolitan Area
Presentation Time: Thu, 05/20/2021 - 11:44
Keywords: sound-shed, noise pollution, sound exposure level, F-35, Tucson.
Noise pollution is a contentious issue in communities near airports and air bases. Concerns that flight activity can have a detrimental effect on property values, quality of life and health animate discussions on airport expansion and aircraft basing. These arguments often revolve around economic development, national security, and the impact of the noise on the public. Vocal opponents tend to be those who are most affected, and the question of basing becomes a binary contest; yes, we do or no, we do not want this aircraft here! Alternately, policy makers address noise pollution in less absolute terms and with more focus placed on managing public attitudes rather than analyzing real risks or hazards. In basic terms, the systems which develop mitigation strategy for addressing noise around major airports base their methodologies on predicting people’s level of annoyance. Rather than rely on subjective data, would it not be better to predict actual noise exposure through utilization of real-world data in order to assess its impact on the community? Through this we can estimate exposure from flight paths, traffic patterns, approach and departure corridors and better assess its impact on schools, businesses, and homes.
