Resources

MSP Noise Programs

MSP Noise Programs

Thank you for taking the time to visit our MSP Noise Program Page. This page is provides information on the wide scope of noise abatement programs, procedures, efforts and trends that are in place or impacting the noise environment at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has a significant number of long-established incompatible land uses and homogeneous residential developments adjacent to airport property.

Recognizing the need for increased infrastructure and the emerging importance of noise issues as operations at MSP increased, the MAC submitted its first MSP 14 C.F.R. Part 150 Study to the FAA in October 1987. The Noise Exposure Maps (NEM) were accepted by the FAA in October 1989, and portions of the Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) were approved in April 1990. The NCP included Corrective Land Use Measures which called for the soundproofing of residences, schools and other public buildings. A 1992 update to the NCP and NEM marked the beginning of corrective mitigation measures in the forecast 1996 NEM 65 and greater DNL noise contours.

Residential Noise Insulation Program

Single Family Noise Insulation Program

Multi-Family Noise Insulation Program

School Noise Insulation Program

Property Acquisition

In the airports earliest days, nearby neighborhoods were not greatly affected by the occasional planes overhead. But, by the mid-1960s, as communities expanded and air travel increased, aircraft noise surfaced as a significant community concern. Public discontent increased, and the cities adjacent to MSP began taking action against the MAC. In 1968, 400 people attended a Minneapolis City Council meeting to demand passage of a proposed ordinance that would prohibit aircraft from flying over the city. Other communities held public hearings and threatened the MAC with lawsuits if the issue of aircraft noise was not immediately addressed. The MAC realized that successful noise abatement required the efforts of many people, both inside and outside the aviation industry.

The creation of the 26 member Metropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Council (MASAC) in 1969 was a direct result of community frustration and the need for a group to provide MAC with additional advice and support for noise abatement programs.

The list of MASAC accomplishments is extensive and represents the development of many “firsts” in the area of airport noise initiatives nationwide. However, the Council’s effectiveness suffered as a result of episodic discontent. Both the airport user and community representatives had diverse interests and considerations. This, and the fact that the Council’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws have remained unchanged since 1969, resulted in the discontinuation of the Council on October 31, 2001.

MSP Noise Oversight Committee (NOC)

Quarterly Public Input Meetings

MAC Noise Program Website (www.macnoise.com)

MSP Noise News Newsletter

Environmental Coordination Efforts in the Planning Process

Reliever Airport Advisory Commissions

The issue of airport noise impact and the application of strategies to reduce the environmental consequences is a complex and challenging one. In addition to corrective mitigation efforts, such as a sound insulation program, MAC pursues airport and aircraft operational measures in an effort to address noise impacts.

Although the formulation and implementation of operational procedures to reduce noise impacts around a major airport, such as Minneapolis-St. Paul International, may seem intuitive, the successful outcome of such initiatives is predicated on extremely complex airspace and Federal policy considerations. Extensive evaluations and federal oversight of impacts on the environment, local airspace and the National Airspace System (NAS) are part of the process.

Evaluations of operational methods to reduce noise around MSP typically focus on the following:

• Aircraft Departure and Arrival Procedures
• Runway Use Selection
• Flight Track Usage
• Airport Use Considerations – which can include aircraft type-specific provisions and/or time of aircraft operation considerations

Operational Procedures/Efforts

Fleet Evolution and Noise Reduction

Fleet Evolution and Air Quality Improvements