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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 4 J.W. AIRPORT EXP 08-20-84 - -- NEW BUSINESS - ~ ~ NO 4 DATE: August 20, 1984 FROH: $UB J ECT: HONORABLE blAYOR & MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT EXPANSION, EIR 508 RECO~ENDATIO# Address a letter to the County of Orange that details the following issues: 1. Additional noise studies that compare the single event noise impacts of the currently used MD-80 with the newer Class A aircraft (B757,767) and Class AA aircraft (B737-300) on overflights over Tustin. 2. As a mitigating measure, moving the ILS west of the Newport Freeway where more non-residential uses currently exist. 3. The potential single event and CNEL impacts of take offs toward Tustin. 4. That there is not a sufficient level of detail to consider MCA.S E1 Toro or Santiago Airport as potential airport site alternatives. The City of Tustin can expect additional noise and traffic impacts, neither of which are sufficiently examined. 5. As a mitigating measure, examine the potential noise impact on overflights for varying types of descent patterns into the airport. Develop an optimum descent pattern that ensures aircraft safety while reducing noise impact. Develop a procedure that ensures compliance, while making airlines responsible for the actions of their pilots. 6. The EIR does not examine fuel dumping procedures carried out by jet aircraft. The EIR should examine these procedures and what impact the additional flights may have on the Tustin area in this regard. 7. The City of Tustin can support growth at the John Wayne Airport if it can be quantitatively shown that the additional flights can be mitigated to a level of insignificance. The City would define a level of insignificance as a single event noise level impact that is either the same or less than current overflight noise levels. John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 19~ page two BACK.GROUND The County of Orange is proposing a Master Plan for the John Wayne Airport, which encompasses construction of substantial improvements to the physical facilities at the airport to accommodate the projected and proposed increase in commercial jet operations through the year 2005. The current jet aircraft operations at the airport are 41 Average Daily Departures (ADD). The first phase of the project includes increasing the number of jet operations to 55 ADD and begin construction on airport facilities improvements. The increase to 55 ADD will begin immediately after the EIR is certified which is scheduled for October, 1984. The second phase will increase the daily jet operations to 73 ADD and will begin after airport facility improvements are completed, anticipated to occur by 1990. The first phase raises the potential number of additional overflights over Tustin by 26.8%. The second phase, which is scheduled to occur in six years, will increase the potential overflights by 78%. The EIR (508) for the John Wayne Airport Master Plan and Land Use Compatibility Program makes up two volumes of a four volume set. It is a comprehensive document whose level of detail is reflected in its voluminous size. At best, it is difficult to summarize the intent and impacts of this proposed plan into a short memo. Especially exasperating is the way the County utilizes several different standards to measure an impact, none of which are easily correlated to a known (or understood) standard. The document is mostly technical in nature, and relies heavily on the reader's willingness to memorize a large number of acronyms. The analysis will hopefully concentrate on only those impacts which affect the City of Tustin. It should be noted early on that all residential areas of the City are outside of the noise impact zones as defined in the EIR. This may limit the actions the City can consider in regard to the proposed project, but should not deter the City from taking a policy position. Regardless of the defined "legal" noise impacts, the City will still be under the overflight pattern for commercial jets, and may be additionally impacted if one of several alternatives were implemented. Past experiences have shown that when the City does take a policy position in regard to the airport, it stirs up action from other jurisdictions, i.e., the County, City of Newport Beach, City of Irvine, etc. EXECIFrlVE SU~INARY 1. Histo~ of noise complaints from Tustin area. 2. Effects of Master Plan's implementation. a. Designated increases as shown in EIR. b. additional increases that may occur as result of airport access plan. 3. Impact of alternatives. 4. Conclusions. 5. Possible policy actions. John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 page three 1. The John Wayne Noise Monitoring Office has been receiving noise complaints since the second quarter of 1975. In 1976, the Tustin area had the second highest level of noise complaints at 15 percent. The next year (1977) was a high water mark for the Tustin area with the substantive number of noise complaints coming from this area. Since 1977, the percentage of complaints has decreased, which can basically be attributed to the use of quieter aircraft, and corresponding percentage increase of complaints from the immediate airport area, due to FAA take-off policy changes. Still, from the years 1976 to 1984, the Tustin/Orange area has contributed 9.8% of all the noise complaints, a seemly significant-number in light of the fact that the entire area is not within the noise impact areas surrounding the airport. The high mark in 1977 was attributed to the shutdown of the VOR and requiring all IFR traffic to use the ILS on approach. Translated into English, the airport has two instrument flight approaches that jets can use to land. One is the VOR (very high frequency omnirange) and directs the airplane over a flight path just west of the Newport Freeway in the City of Santa Ana. The other is the ILS (instrument landing system) which lines the airplane directly with thelanding strip, a path that takes the airplane over City Hall and the North Tustin area. In 1977, the VOR was shut down for six months, forcing all instrument landings onto the ILS, with a corresponding increase in noise complaints in the area. In an effort to better clarify the flight approaches into the airport, Bill Martin at the John Wayne Airport Noise Abatement was contacted. Along with the two instrument approaches, a pilot may land the airplane by visual approach, of which any number of flight paths may be used. One popular approach is along Red Hill Avenue, directly over Tustin Meadows and the Marine Base. It is the sole decision of the pilot in regard to which approach he uses to land, unless weather conditions restrict that choice. Pilots favor the ILS approach because it provides the pilot with an altitude reading, something the VOR route does not.- On heavy overcast days, the ILS is used exclusively, while on slightly cloudy days, some pilots will use the VOR, and on clear days, some will use the visual approach and VOR. Clearly, over any period of time, and especially during winter months, the ILS approach is the most widely used. 2. The project description calls for two phases to complete the proposed master plan. The first phase will begin when the EIR and Master Plan are adopted (10/84), and will result in the addition of 14 more commercial jet flights (ADD) to the current 41 ADD, for a total of 55 ADD. The second phase will be implemented after airport improvements are completed, which is anticipated by the year 1990. This will result in the addition of 18 more flights, for a grand total of 73 ADD. The total project will increase commercial flights out of John Wayne by 78%, or 32 ADDs. The impact of these additional flights or the City of Tustin is basically confined to noise and risk, and can be described utilizing clear but unmeasurable standards (annoyance) and/or measurable standards which do not cause a clear impact to the City (CNEL, SEVEL, SEL). John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 page four The State of California authorizes the use of the Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) to describe noise impacts and the mitigating measures needed to reduce those impacts to an acceptable level. The CNEL is weighted twenty-four hour average of noise in a given area, utilizing the noise energy created, frequency of occurance, and time of day. At the John Wayne Airport, any area within the 65 or greater CNEL would require mitigating measures to reduce the impact to below 65 CNEL. The City of Tustin is located significantly outside of the 60 CNEL line, and therefore is not considered impacted by the proposed master plan project, even with the increased number of flights· The CNEL is considered by many experts to be ambigious, and obscures the many different values needed to calculate a a CNEL. So even though the 65 CNEL does not expand dramatically by the addition of 32 more flights, the city can expect more noise and annoyance on a single event basis. The added noise and annoyance from the addition of 32 more flights is probably the clearest, but unmeasurable impact. The EIR describes this an an impact, but provides no mitigating measures due to the fact that none are required by law. Using single event measurements, such as SEL and SENEL, the impact to Tustin varies greatly on the mix of commercial aircraft. A B737-200 has a 90 SEL (Single Event Level, a noise measurement combined the noise energy generated and duration, a 90 SEL is equal to 80 dbA for a certain number of seconds) which extends well into the City of Tustin, while the newer generation MD-80 (DC9-80) has a 90 SEL that does not even come close to the City limits. Both of these craft have a Class A rating and are authorized to fly out of John Wayne, yet have significantly different noise patterns on a single event basis. As these earlier and noisier generation of jets phase out of operation, the City should be able to expect a lowering of the noise impact, but the additional 32 flights along with the introduction of larger jets with engines that are quieter on departure than arrival may neutralize some of these gains. The EIR exclusively examines impacts upon the departure of aircraft with little attention given to the arrival characteristics of the newer generation jets. The 90 SEL contours for some newer generation commercial jets (B757-B767) are larger on the arrival end than departure. Jets such as the wide bo~ B767-200 require substantially more power n approach than the MD-80, and hence, are noisier. Additionally, I contacted Bill Martin at John Wayne Airport and questioned the noise characteristics of the new generation jet engines. He stated that, on the average, the new advanced high bypass ratio turbofan engines generate more noise on arrivalthan departure. These jet engines still have a 90 SEL line that is significantly less than the 90 SEL for the B737-200, but is larger than the more widely used (70% of operations) MD-80. Even though the EIR did not consider it significant enough to draw the conclusion, staff definitely feels that the City will experience equal or greater noise impact through the use of "quieter" new generation commercial jets, along with the obvious impact of 32 more overflights. John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 page five The EIR examines, through a request of the Board of Supervisors, alternatives' to the proposed Airport Access plan. This document regulates the number of flights that can leave John Wayne, the type of aircraft by noise characteristics, and the allocated number of flights for each commercial jet carrier operating out of the airport. The current access plan expired on May 31, 1984, and the County is operating under an interim plan due to expire in October. A proposed access plan has been developed but not implemented that calls for 41 ADDs allocated to the various carriers. Each carrier must operate a Class A aircraft and any aircraft violating the Class A criteria for a certain number of flights will be denied access into the airport. Proposed changes to this access plan will offer certain incentives to get carriers to trade in noisy Class A aircraft for quieter Class AA aircraft (Class AA aircraft include two aircraft, the B737-300 and BAe-146) along with regulating departures of Class AA operations. There is some concern from County officials that some Class AA equipment m~ be below the 89.5 dbA regulating point, and would therefore be allowed as many operations as they can handle. In an effort to regulate Class AA operations and provide an incentive for air carriers to use Class AA equipment, the EIR explores two possible scenarios for Phase I of the Master Plan. The first approach would allow carriers 47 Class A ADD during Phase I of the Master Plan. Each quarter the Class allocations would be reduced by 10 percent for each carrier and placed into a pool for equal reallocation, with a preference given to those carriers seeking to operate Class AA aircraft. The incentive is to phase out Class A aircraft by granting the air carrier that uses Class AA aricraft more seats than would be possible on a Class A aircraft. The maximum seat constraint of 8,500 daily departure seats cannot be exceeded. The bottom line is that this approach would result in approximately 71 Class AA ADD at the end of two years instead of the 55 Class A ADD proposed for Phase I without incentives. The second approach would also allow carriers a total of 47 Class A ADD for Phase I. A total of fifteen (15) of these Class A flights would be eligible for a "trade-outm' to Class AA flights, on a two for one basis. The bottom line on this approach is that by the middle of 1985, the airport will have 30 Class AA ADDs and 32 Class A ADDs, for a total of 62 ADD. A rather confusing aspect of these proposed access plans is the change from an Average Daily Departure (ADD) standard to the daily departue seats. The 8,500 daily departure seat level is the maximum the airport can serve based on Master Plan improvements. The number was derived by taking the 55 ADDs for phase I and projecting aircraft mix of larger Class A aircraft (such as B 757 wide-body) to produce the 8,500 daily departure seats. Since Class AA aircraft are smaller, it takes more flights to produce the 8,500 limit. So instead of a 55 ADD limit for Phase I, the two access plan approaches would result in either 71 ADD or 62 ADD, an increase in 30 and 21 ADD respectively from the current 41 ADD level. John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 page si x The EIR gave noise criteria for one of the Class AA aircraft, the B737-$00. The craft has not been tested at John Wayne airport, but its projected 90 SEL line is significantly less than the MD-80 (DC-9-80) and it is positively a quieter aircraft than any other operating at the airport, on departure. Its noise impacts on arrival are virtually the same as the MD-80 and the City can expect the same noise intrusion as it receives currently, except with the added impact of up to thirty (30) more flights for Phase I only. In regard to accident risk, the EIR indicates that the accidents per lO0,O00 operations would be expected to remain the same range as experienced in the 1972 to 1981 study period,but the risk of accident would increase during the operational phase of the proposed project. As the EIR states, "Although the number of aircraft accidents cannot be predicted te increase, the risk of an accident would increase with increased exposure." 3. 'The EIR examines a long list of alternatives, from more flights to less flights to no flights,along with reviewing all alternative sites that have been studied in years gone by. I will review two proposed alternatives: the E1 Toro Marine Base joint use and Santiago Airport site. Both of these could conceivably affect the City if either were implemented. The change in single event impacts, would be more significant than is indicated by the CNEL contours. The EIR attempts to make a strong case for a joint use at the E1 Toro Marine base. While several significant impacts are identified, the EIR states' that, "significant adverse impacts to the existing Marine Corps operations are not anticipated. Close coordination with the Marine Corps during the planning, construction, and operational phases of the commercial airport minimize impacts." Details of the proposed plan include: Ce Commercial airlines would utilize the same take off, landing patterns the military currently uses. The commercial take-off pattern may require the removal of one to six million cubic yards of earth from adjacent hillsides. The CNEL noise contours are virtually the same due to the noise characteristics of high performance military jetcraft. Although the CNEL contours do not change, there will be an increase in single noise level events. The Navy position is, "the Navy strongly opposes joint use. Such use is totally incompatible with the military mission and strongly opposed by the local community." The City of Ne~ort Beach strongly supports the joint use of MCAS E1 Toro. John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 Page seven The General Accounting Office (GAO, March 1983) reviewed 18 military airfields that had been identified by the Department of Defense or the FAA as potential joint use sites. MCAS E1 Toro was not identified as a proposed site. The EIR does not examine the overflight patterns for aircraft using E1 ToPo, so it is very difficult to determine how many, if at- all, overflights will pass over Tustin on their way to E1 Toro. Approximately 15% to 20% of the year, aircraft will take off north on runway 34, passing over the City. This is not a normal take off pattern, and is caused by seasonal wind conditions (Santa Anas). The other aiternative site that could have a potential impact on the City was Santiago Canyon. The EIR gives very little credence to this site, and identifies a long list of significant impacts that are overwhelming and make this site low on 'the priority list. CONCLUSIONS: Over the years, the Tustin/Orange area has had 9.8% of all the noise complaints, in spite of the fact that is out of the noise impact area. The Master Plan calls for a two phase program. Phase I an increase to 55 ADD. Phase II an increase to 73 ADD. The current level is a maximum of. 41 ADD (Average Daily Departures). 3. The City of Tustin is outside of the 60 CNEL contour. Impacts must be mitigated for residential units inside the 65 CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level). The single event noise level will increase with more overflights over Tustin, along with the annoyance they may cause. Mitgating measures are required for only noise impacted CNEL's, no measures are required for single level occurances. 5. The City of Tustin will not receive all the new overflights, since pilots can land using the VOR (over Santa Ana), ILS (over Tustin) or visual. Pilots favor the ILS approach over all others. Noise characteristics for Class A aircraft can vary greatly, with the B737-200 generating much greater noise levels than the newer MD-80 (DC-9-80), although both are considered Class A aircraft. J The EIR almost exclusively examines the noise generated on departure, with very little attention given to jet arrival. Some of the jet aircraft proposed for use at John Wayne generate less noise on departure than arrival. Staff feels that a combination of more overflights with noisier aircraft will cause the City to experience equal or greater noise impacts by John Wayne Airport Expansion, EIR 508 August 20, 1984 Page eight these newer generation jet craft. Some of these aircraft include the B-757 and the wide body B-767, which generate less noise than current levels on departure, but generate more noise than current levels on arrival. 8. The EIR examines two possible scenarios for a new access plan for John Wayne,combining incentives for carriers to use quieter aircraft, along with regulating these quieter jets (Class AA). These two approaches would be for the first phase only. a. Use a "pool" approach to offer air carriers more seats if they use Class AA aircraft. This plan starts out with 47 Class A ADDs, and could end up, within two years, with 71 Class AA ADDs. b. Use a "trade-out" approach, where a certain number of Class A aircraft - can be traded for Class AA aircraft, on a ~wo for one basis. This plan will result in 32 Class A ADDs and 30 Class AA ADDs for a total 62 ADDs. Either of these approaches may be utilized in Phase I, w~ich has a ADD limit of 55 Class A flights. The added flights are justified by the noise contour reductions and the fact that the flights do not exceed the Master Plan Phase I limit of 8,500 daily departure seats. Class AA aircraft are significantly quieter than any jet craft used to date, on departure. Noise characteristics on arrival are similar to the MD-80 (DC-9-80). With the additional flights, the City can expect noise impacts equal or greater than currently experienced, even with the Class AA equipment. 9. The EIR seriously examines the E1 Toro Marine Base as a joint use facility. The City of Newport Beach strongly supports the use of the base for military and civilian aircraft. The EIR does not determine in what direction flights will come into the airport, therefore it is difficult to ascertain what impact overflights will have on the City of Tustin. Due to wind conditions, 15 to 20% of the year, the City will have overflights from take offs north on Runway 24. Associate Planner EMK: jh