WESTFIELD—The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering the use of a new Noise Exposure Map (NEM) as part of the noise mitigation program that is ongoing around Barnes Regional Airport, according to Jane Verbeck of Wyle Acoustical Engineering.
The FAA requested the use of two computer modeling programs to potentially model the noise exposure map (NEP) with a civilian model and a military model, which the latter was the basis of for the existing NEM, according to Verbeck. Verbeck informed the Westfield Airport Commission about the potential change last week.
According to Verbeck, the FAA is hoping that the use of the new second model will not cause a big change, but that it is uncertain what its impact will be currently.
The control tower and a plane hangar at Barnes. (Photo credit: Dan Desrochers)
“No way of knowing if there will be a big change or not,” she said. “It could mean we add homes or we drop homes.”
The current NEM was created through a military modeling program called Noise Map, Verbeck said. Now, the new civilian program the FAA wants to be incorporated is called Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT), according to Verbeck.
From the FAA website on the AEDT product: “AEDT is a software system that models aircraft performance in space and time to estimate fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and air quality consequences.”
According to Verbeck, the AEDT was scheduled to replace the previous modeling after May 2015 but the new NEM for Barnes was underway during that time-frame.
“It is safe to say the FAA now has a new noise model that was not in effect when the last noise exposure map began,” she said.
Verbeck said during the meeting that funding for the potential new modeling would come from already-existing grant funding being used for the Noise Compatibility Program that Wyle is overseeing, which means no additional cost to the city. However, it could mean lesser homes are bought initially.
“Instead of buying seven homes with this grant we will buy a lower amount, depending,” she said.
Verbeck said that the FAA has suggested this change so that all airports utilize the same program.
“They just want every airport to use the same program,” she said.
Verbeck added that Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and Burlington International Airport in Burlington, Vermont, which are both also going through noise compatibility programs, are also expected to go through the same change.
