DECIBEL DEBATE AT KBTV PROMPTS NOISE TRACKING PORTAL DEVELOPMENT

A new portal for residents within the vicinity of Burlington International Airport (BTV) is available as part of a noise abatement initiative to address complaints associated with the Vermont Air National Guard’s F-35 operations. The Winooski City Hall and Chamberlin School are now home to two microphones dedicated to measuring aircraft noise decibel levels which are fed to the tracking portal. An additional microphone is expected to be installed in Williston this month and the total system cost of $340,000 has been funded by the FAA.

The portal allows residents to comment on noise they experience as it happens in the area surrounding BTV in an effort to make the process less subjective. Noise complaints have risen in tandem with the arrival of the F-35s at BTV in 2019 which are louder than the previous fleet of F-16s at the airport. The airport said results from the portal will be discussed at airport commission meetings and trends will be assessed to help develop a noise abatement program.