Roughly two years after F-35 fighter jets arrived at Burlington International Airport, they remain controversial because of the jet noise inflicted upon surrounding neighborhoods. The airport launched a new sound monitoring system Friday designed to measure actual noise levels at several locations in the area. Special microphones are now tracking sound at Winooski City Hall and Chamberlin School in South Burlington; a third station is slated to go up in Williston next month. The decibel levels are recorded in real-time and appear on a new website visible to the airport, residents and nearby National Guard members at all times. Not all military operations will be included in the tracker but associated noise will be tracked. Members of the public are able to independently report “disturbances” they hear through the new program. Responses include notices like “loud and low” or “vibration.””We heard what the community wanted,” said Nic Longo, the airport’s acting director. “We heard there needs to be transparency and openness as to what those noise levels are.”He added, “We’ll be presenting monthly to our airport commission meetings as well as the noise comments monthly as well.”The $340,000 monitoring system is being funded through the Federal Aviation Administration.
Roughly two years after F-35 fighter jets arrived at Burlington International Airport, they remain controversial because of the jet noise inflicted upon surrounding neighborhoods.
The airport launched a new sound monitoring system Friday designed to measure actual noise levels at several locations in the area. Special microphones are now tracking sound at Winooski City Hall and Chamberlin School in South Burlington; a third station is slated to go up in Williston next month.
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The decibel levels are recorded in real-time and appear on a new website visible to the airport, residents and nearby National Guard members at all times. Not all military operations will be included in the tracker but associated noise will be tracked.
Members of the public are able to independently report “disturbances” they hear through the new program. Responses include notices like “loud and low” or “vibration.”
“We heard what the community wanted,” said Nic Longo, the airport’s acting director. “We heard there needs to be transparency and openness as to what those noise levels are.”
He added, “We’ll be presenting [the data] monthly to our airport commission meetings as well as the noise comments monthly as well.”
The $340,000 monitoring system is being funded through the Federal Aviation Administration.
