Noise Abatement

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When the Memphis Municipal Airport opened in the 1920’s, it was seven miles from downtown. Yet, American and Chicago and Southern Airlines operated from grass strips surrounded by farmland. Over the years, the airport grew as Memphis grew. Grass strips gave way to concrete. Farm hangars were replaced with a proper terminal. The radial throb of DC-7’s and Super Connies disappeared and were replaced with the scream of turbojets from 707’s and DC-8’s. The airport, which was once on the outskirts of town, was now surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. People who bought houses near a small airport in the 1950s and '60s had no idea that soon, its largest tenant FedEx, would make the airport the busiest in the world between 10 pm and 3 am. People living near the airport began complaining about a whole range of discordant sounds, from the banshee wail of taxing jets to the ceiling shaking thunder of the engines on takeoff. Noise pollution became an unfortunate side effect of the jet age.

The U.S. began enacting legislative controls with the Aircraft Noise Abatement Act in 1968. This authorized the FAA to prescribe standards for the measurement of aircraft noise. This act was later modified by the Noise Control Act of 1972 which now required consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare" (Noise Control Act of 1972). Other federal programs provided money for noise reduction projects such as sound proofing nearby buildings to include homes and schools, and land acquisition to acquire homes surrounding airport property and relocating them to quieter locations (Government Accountability Office, [GAO], 2001). Land use guidelines and zoning laws addressed land use in the vicinity of the airport. They idea behind land use planning is that residential development should...