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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noise |
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mitigation standards still leave a number of residents severely |
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impacted by aircraft noise; and |
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WHEREAS, Currently the only method sanctioned by the FAA for |
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determining if an area is eligible for aircraft noise mitigation is |
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called Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL); and |
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WHEREAS, In the calculations for DNL are flight operations |
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data from the airport, noise data for each plane type from the |
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manufacturer of the plane, and a few other miscellaneous variables; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, This data is uploaded into noise software sanctioned |
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by the FAA and a noise model is produced; and |
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WHEREAS, This model is not based on actual noise data but |
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rather operations estimates and manufacturer information; and |
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WHEREAS, This model then produces a contour map of the |
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airport operations area with noise contour lines; and |
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WHEREAS, Many sources have said that the DNL is not accurate |
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because it does not take into account much beyond a mile from the |
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end of the runway because the software does not compute in such |
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things as: sound bounce from clouds and fog; the absence or presence |
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of forestation for noise deadening; variations in flight paths due |
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to weather and temperature inversions; and |
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WHEREAS, The 65 decibel line (or greater) is the one that can |
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produce federal mitigation funds; and |
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WHEREAS, Bush IAH has 95% of its air operations from 6am to |
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10pm and since the DNL average is taken over the entire 24 hour |
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period, the average becomes extremely diluted; and |
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WHEREAS, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
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has established the workplace noise level at 55 decibels and |
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anything above is detrimental to the workforce; |
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WHEREAS, These have to be requested by the airport; and |
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WHEREAS, The airport does not always request funding as in |
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the recent Wylie study, in Houston, which produced greater than 54 |
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decibel levels for a subdivision called North Hollow; and |
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WHEREAS, The annoyance effects of aircraft noise are widely |
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recognized; however, aircraft noise is also responsible for a |
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significant amount of hearing loss as well as a contributor to a |
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number of diseases; and |
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WHEREAS, High levels of aircraft noise that commonly exist |
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near major commercial airports are known to increase blood pressure |
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and contribute to. Some research indicates that it contributes to |
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heart disease, immune deficiencies, asthma and other stress related |
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diseases. |
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WHEREAS, Further research is being carried out to better |
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understand the effects of long term exposure to aircraft noise; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress and the Federal |
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Aviation Administration to reexamine the federal policies on the |
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mitigation of aircraft noise, including residential buy out |
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options, to better reflect actual aircraft noise experienced by |
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residents living near airports and the negative health effects of |
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sounds levels on those residents; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the administrator of the Federal |
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Aviation Administration, to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the |
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senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the |
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Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |