Coalition for the Future of Greater Chino Valley

These are some notable excerpts from an FAA Environmental Order:

4.2c. Noise Sensitive Area. This is an area where noise interferes with normal activities associated with its use. Normally, noise sensitive areas include residential, educational, health, and religious structures and sites, and parks, recreational areas (including areas with wilderness characteristics), wildlife refuges, and cultural and historical sites. For example, in the context of noise from airplanes and helicopters, noise sensitive areas include such areas within the Day Night Level (DNL) 65 noise contour.

14.3 SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THRESHOLDS. A significant noise impact would occur if analysis shows that the proposed action will cause noise sensitive areas to experience an increase in noise of DNL 1.5 dB or more at or above DNL 65 dB noise exposure when compared to the no action alternative for the same timeframe. For example, an increase from 63.5 dB to 65 dB is considered a significant impact. Special consideration needs to be given to the evaluation of the significance of noise impacts on noise sensitive areas within national parks, national wildlife refuges and historic sites, including traditional cultural properties. For example, the DNL 65 dB threshold does not adequately address the effects of noise on visitors to areas within a national park or national wildlife refuge where other noise is very low and a quiet setting is a generally recognized purpose and attribute.

 

14.6a. No noise analysis is needed for proposals involving Design Group I and II airplanes (wingspan less than 79 feet) in Approach Categories A through D (landing speed less than 166 knots) operating at airports whose forecast operations in the period covered by the EA do not exceed 90,000 annual propeller operations (247 average daily operations) or 700 jet operations (2 average daily operations). These numbers of general aviation (GA) propeller and jet 1050.1E 06/08/04 A-66 operations result in DNL 60 dB contours of less than 1.1 square miles that extend no more than 12,500 feet from start of takeoff roll. The DNL 65 dB contour areas would be 0.5 (one-half) square mile or less and extend no more than 10,000 feet from start of takeoff roll. Note that the Cessna Citation 500 and any other jet aircraft producing levels less than the propeller aircraft

under study may be counted as propeller aircraft rather than jet aircraft.