Share this press release from Whidbey News Times: https://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/opinion/sound-off-policy-reform-needed-to-protect-public-health-from-aircraft-noise/
Another new study reveals health impacts of aircraft noise on U.S. communities and urges
policy reform. According to Terra Huey, Program Director of the Sound Defense Alliance (SDA), “This new study adds weight to the University of Washington’s recent Public Health Study which shows over 72,000 people in NW Washington are being impacted by Navy Growler EA-18G jet noise. New studies showing the various adverse health impacts of noise are coming out regularly as we learn more about noise and public health. The new study, Community impacts of aviation noise: a pilot survey by Jamie Banks and Becky Petrou O’Rourke, was published January 7th, 2025, to the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. It highlights the urgent need for updated aviation noise policies in the United States. Sound Defense Alliance has been advocating for a solution to the Navy’s expanding Growler jet noise and its impacts on the Puget Sound and Salish Sea communities since 2018. “We are excited that others are calling for policy change at the national level,” concluded Huey. Banks and O’Rouke reveal that current regulations, based on outdated concepts of “annoyance,” fail to account for the serious health impacts experienced by communities living under frequent aircraft flight paths. Their findings show that loud, repetitive, low-altitude aircraft noise is causing significant mental and physical health concerns to impacted communities, with military aircraft being a particularly harmful source of exposure. The study, conducted through a 10-question online community pilot survey, was distributed to aviation-impacted residents in May 2022 and gathered 1,452 responses over a two-week period. Respondents reported loud, repetitive, low-altitude aircraft noise throughout the day and night - causing stress and negative effects on mental and physical health. Seven survey questions focused on the type and magnitude of health impacts, perceptions, and concerns. Results showed the likelihood of adverse impacts and heightened perceptions and concerns was greatest in respondents exposed mainly to military aircraft noise.
Key findings of the survey include:
● High levels of exposure to frequent, low-altitude flights (both day and night) are linked to
significant health concerns;
● “Annoyance” does not capture the full scope of the problem – affected residents face
serious, long-term health consequences beyond simple irritation;
● Military aircraft exposure is particularly damaging, amplifying both physical and mental
health effects;
● The frequency of flights is a critical factor, with respondents experiencing greater
negative effects in areas exposed to more than 1,000 flights per week.
These results underscore a growing disconnect between current aviation noise policies and the lived experiences of those directly affected. SDA has validated this disconnect in community Listening Sessions, our own survey, and in recent federal and civil lawsuits taken against the Navy's actions. Existing regulations - which are decades old, focus primarily on noise “annoyance”, and rely on outdated noise metrics (such as averaging noise) - fail to capture the complex, multifaceted impacts that aviation noise has on public health. This new study argues that aviation noise policy must be reformed to reflect the true health risks posed by aviation noise exposure. SDA agrees that updated policy should prioritize reducing both the human and economic costs of these health impacts, with a particular emphasis on frequent and high-intensity exposure to military aircraft.
For more information on the study and its findings, visit:
For more information on the University of Washington’s Public Health Study findings, visit:
Sound Defense Alliance works to protect communities and the natural environment from harmful Navy Growler jet activity around the Salish Sea, Puget Sound, and Olympic Peninsula. For more information, visit: https://www.sounddefensealliance.org/
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