Airport noise monitors confirm F-35 impact

Noise mitigation grant rollout begins

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Noise monitors installed around Burlington International Airport over the past two years consistently show readings in the 70-80 decibel range with occasional spikes over 110 decibels.

The highest readings top out at around 115 decibels, consistent with the predicted noise levels associated with takeoff of the Vermont National Guard’s F-35 fighter jets based at the airport.

The Vermont National Guard began flying F-35s in 2019, replacing the less noisy F-16s. Burlington International Airport installed two noise monitors, in Winooski and South Burlington, in 2021, and a third in Williston in 2022. Decibel data from the monitors confirms predictions of injurious noise levels from the fighter jets. Data from the South Burlington and Winooski noise monitors is available on the airport’s website at www.btv. aero/about-btv/community. Data from the Williston noise monitor is supposed to be posted there too, but has been missing from the site for months. Airport Aviation Director Nic Longo said Tuesday he is working to fix that problem.

“That might be a glitch or an error in our adding this, but there is definitely noise data for the Williston site, so I’m going to have to look into that and see why that’s not there,” Longo said Tuesday.

Spikes over 110 decibels can cause hearing loss if the exposure lasts more than two minutes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC). On one occasion last October, the South Burlington monitor recorded a 114-decibel event for 145 seconds. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends human exposure to 115 decibels not exceed 28 seconds per day.

Decibel events in the 70-85 range, which are the majority of those captured by the noise monitors over the past two years, are classified as merely “annoying” by the CDC.

The Williston noise monitor is located on Route 2 near the intersection of Chad Lane; the South

Burlington monitor is located near Chamberlain Elementary School; and the Winooski monitor is located at Winooski City Hall.

The airport published a noise exposure map in 2019 outlining the area where noise exposure was expected to be greater than 65 decibels once the F-35s were operational. The map will be updated this year now that actual F-35 flight data is available, Longo said.

The map outlines three noise exposure zones, with areas closest to the airport at 75 decibels of noise exposure, an intermediate area of 70-decibel exposure and an area of

65-decibel exposure. Homes and apartments within the three zones may be eligible for noise mitigation or home sale assistance from the airport, through funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The northwest corner of Williston, including about 100 homes on North Brownell, South Brownell and Shunpike roads, falls within the 65-decibel exposure zone and is potentially eligible for noise mitigation or home sale assistance. Eligibility is based on noise levels inside the home.

The program is focusing on areas closer to the airport before considering Williston applications.

“The FAA requires the airport to work at the higher average decibel lines first, and then work our way out,” Longo said. “There is years and years of work ahead of us.”

The airport receives about $5 million in funding for residential noise mitigation annually. It is allotting about $100,000 per household, allowing for about 50 projects each year. The first projects are scheduled to begin this spring,