SOUNDPROOFING WORK SLOWING DWINDLING GRANT FUNDS CRAMP EFFORTS NEAR BURBANK AIRPORT.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer BURBANK - Four schools and 860 homes in the Burbank Airport flight path have been soundproofed during the first five years of a noise-insulation project, but work is slowing because of dwindling dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. grant funds, officials said Tuesday. The Airport Authority is now targeting a more conservative 300 homes annually - hundreds less than its goal in the program's early years - but the number continues to fluctuate since the airport relies heavily the Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control for 80 percent of the funding. ``Federal grant money has slowed down, and we already have a full pipeline of homes,'' said Airport Authority spokesman Victor Gill. The airport hopes to complete its $140 million soundproofing Soundproofing is any means of reducing the intensity of sound with respect to a specified source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to block or absorb the energy of the sound project by 2015. Already, the authority has converted hundreds of acres surrounding the airport that were previously considered ``incompatible'' with aviation noise - including schools, homes and churches - into compatible uses, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a quarterly noise impact report. ``We've made a huge difference - we've covered almost 100 acres of homes in the last four years,'' Gill said. ``Even without insulation, the numbers have gone down because planes are quieter now than they were then, but because of the added steps of the insulating, we've been able to reduce the impact level even more.'' In 1999, there were 327 acres in the 65-decibel noise level area considered ``incompatible.'' But in 2003, only 146 acres were designated as incompatible - a number the airport reduced to 53 acres with its soundproofing program. More than 5,400 homes and schools within one mile of the airport are eligible to participate. In exchange for the average $35,000 to $40,000 upgrades to each home, homeowners waive their right to sue the airport over plane noise. Students, teachers and homeowners who now have the benefits of double- paned windows A paned window is a window that is divided into sections known as panes. Originally, the meaning pertained to sectioned glass windows in walls. It is also borrowed by computer scientists to refer to sectioned windows on a graphical display. , solid-core doors, attic insulation, weather-stripping and new central air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. in homes, said the difference is quite noticeable. The program aims to reduce noise from 60 to 70 decibels to about 45 decibels. Indoors, 70 to 80 decibels of noise is comparable to standing 3 feet from an operating garbage disposal Noun 1. garbage disposal - a kitchen appliance for disposing of garbage electric pig, disposal kitchen appliance - a home appliance used in preparing food garbage disposal, garbage disposal unit n or 10 feet from a running vacuum. Naush Boghossian, (818) 546-3306 naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com |
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