New study on noise, including aircraft noise, says health of residents of Montreal under threat

A study in Montreal, Quebec, by the public health department, shows that Montrealers near highways, rail yards and Trudeau airport are most likely to be exposed to excessive noise.  Over a two-week period in August 2010, noise levels were measured every 2 minutes at a range of locations.  During the day, two-thirds of the spots were above the WHO’s suggested maximum.  The negative effects include annoyance (inability to concentrate, occasionally being awoken, difficulty carrying on conversations); sleep disturbance (frequent waking, which can affect health); and, most seriously, cardiovascular disease, especially high blood pressure, which increases as people are exposed to noise. The data will be assessed by a new noise-management committee looking into noise sources, including the airport.  Several measures will be looked at, including re-zoning, and new soundproofing standards. Data needs to be gathered on whether the increase in planes outweighs the tiny improvements in the noise per plane. Campaigners Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau say flight altitudes over Montreal should be raised and there should be a “genuine night-time (flight) curfew,” not just noise insulation.
.

 

 

Noise making Montrealers sick, study shows

 20.6.2014
Noise making Montrealers sick, study shows

Montrealers near highways, rail yards and Trudeau airport are most likely to be exposed to excessive noise, a study shows. Over a two-week span in August 2010, noise levels were measured every two minutes and two-thirds of the spots were found to be above the WHO’s suggested maximum level of 55 decibels.

Noise from planes, trains and automobiles is making Montrealers sick.

And Montreal says it wants to do something about it.

Many locations monitored on Montreal Island have noise levels exceeding World Health Organization recommendations, according to a public health department study made public Friday.

Map of noise for 24 hours

Over two weeks in August 2010, noise levels were measured every two minutes.

During the day, two-thirds of the spots were above the WHO’s suggested maximum level (55 decibels). At night, one-quarter of them were above the recommendation.

Montrealers near highways, rail yards and Trudeau airport were most likely to be exposed to excessive noise.

Montreal levels are similar to those in other big cities, including Toronto.

“There’s a link between exposure to noise and our health,” said Richard Massé, director of the Montreal public health department. Pregnant women, seniors and people with chronic diseases are most susceptible.

Noise has three key adverse effects, Massé noted.

They are: annoyance (inability to concentrate, occasionally being awoken, difficulty carrying on conversations); sleep disturbance (frequent waking, which can affect health); and, most seriously, cardiovascular disease, especially high blood pressure, which increases as people are exposed to noise.

The department is monitoring noise at 200 locations across Montreal, and collecting data about the health of people who live nearby, Massé said.

The results, due later this year, are to be used by a committee the city of Montreal is creating. The noise-management committee is to include railways, Transport Quebec, Trudeau airport and the Port of Montreal.

Réal Ménard, executive committee member for the environment, said Montreal takes noise pollution seriously. A new land-use planning and development plan for the agglomeration, due later this year, will include a regional noise-control policy, he said.

Several measures will be looked at, including rezoning, new soundproofing standards and sound barriers.

Map of noise in the daytime

Transport Quebec, which operates highways in Montreal, only looks into noise complaints when the noise level is 65 decibels or higher — 10 decibels more than the WHO guideline.

Asked about the Transport Quebec threshold, Massé would not comment directly but said 65 decibels “certainly has an impact on people who live nearby.

“What we hope is that (Transport Quebec) sits down with us on the committee and we see what we can do to reduce noise levels. It could be mitigation measures. We know we can’t take a city and instantly rebuild it.”

The public-health department also made public a study on the impact of noise from Trudeau airport flights.

Map of noise at nighttime

Massé said individual planes are quieter but there has been a small increase in traffic. “We can’t say that noise around the airport is increasing or decreasing. That’s something that needs to be followed.”

The study said highway and rail yards exacerbate noise problems near the airport. Prevention measures are needed to reduce noise exposure in the area. That could include zoning changes and new-housing soundproofing requirements, the study said.

Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau, a residents’ group that has long complained about airport noise, called the study “incomplete.” [They are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pollues ]

Researchers failed to “take into account the fact that noise associated with aircraft movements relocated two years ago towards the east, up to a distance of more than 10 kilometres from the airport,” Antoine Bécotte, chair of the committee, said in a news release. The study also did not focus on areas such as Ahuntsic and Villeray, he noted.

Rather than deal with aircraft-noise effects (by soundproofing homes, for example), the cause should be addressed, Bécotte said.

Flight altitudes over Montreal should be raised and a “genuine nighttime (flight) curfew” re-established, he added.

ariga@montrealgazette.com

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Noise+making+Montrealers+sick+study+shows/9955919/story.html?__federated=1

.


.

More about the local campaign against Montreal aircraft noise, “Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau”

http://lpdmt.org/en/   (website in English and in French)
Polluted of the Montreal-Trudeau

“Group Montrealers, we seek to mobilize and take action against indecent noise from Montreal-Trudeau airport, and thus find a respectable living environment.”

First there were the expropriated owners of Mirabel, now here are the “Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau”, the new victims of federal overreach in air transportation in Montreal. Montreal Trudeau Airport is centrally located on the island of Montreal. The administror, « Aéroport de Montréal (ADM) » does not respect no fly hours and is lax when it comes to flight paths followed by aircraft on approach or take-off. The quality of life of the citizens living underneath these aircraft is negatively affected. Over the last few years this situation has worsened, and even more so during the last few months. A group of citizens is banding together and they are saying out loud: “Stop the engines! Stop the pollution! Let us open our windows, enjoy our backyards, our parks and, most importantly, let us sleep at night!”.
.
In the original French:
Il y a eu les expropriés de Mirabel, il y a aujourd’hui les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau, les nouvelles victimes de l’incurie fédérale en matière de transport aérien à Montréal. La présence d’un aéroport d’envergure en plein cœur de l’île de Montréal, le non-respect du couvre-feu par son gestionnaire, Aéroport de Montréal (ADM), et son laisser-aller quant aux corridors empruntés par les transporteurs accueillis viennent brimer la qualité de vie des citoyens habitant sur le trajet de leurs appareils. Devant une situation qui a dégénéré au cours des dernières années et qui a pris de l’ampleur depuis les derniers mois, un groupe de citoyens a décidé de crier haut et fort : « Wôw les moteurs! Arrêtez de nous polluer, laissez-nous ouvrir nos fenêtres, profiter de nos cours, de nos parcs et – surtout – laissez-nous dormir en paix ».”.
.
.
.

Who we are

We started as a citizens group from the Montreal borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and our first meeting was in mid 2012.

At the beginning, our group was called “Haut les Moteurs” but in May 2013, we incorporated our group and renamed it “Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau”. This was done in order to become better organized and increase the scope of our activities. Our new name emphasizes our situation and includes all adverse effects that citizens endure due to aircraft movement over their heads.

We welcome all citizens of the Montreal region within our ranks.

Our Advocacy

First there were the expropriated owners of Mirabel, now here are the “Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau”, the new victims of federal overreach in air transportation in Montreal. Montreal Trudeau Airport is centrally located on the island of Montreal. The administror, « Aéroport de Montréal (ADM) » does not respect no fly hours and is lax when it comes to flight paths followed by aircraft on approach or take-off. The quality of life of the citizens living underneath these aircraft is negatively affected. Over the last few years this situation has worsened, and even more so during the last few months. A group of citizens is banding together and they are saying out loud: “Stop the engines! Stop the pollution! Let us open our windows, enjoy our backyards, our parks and, most importantly, let us sleep at night!”. Our group aims to unify everyone living on the island of Montreal that is fed up with this situation. We want a real ban of air flights at night and a complete revision of flight paths taken by airplanes that land or take off from Trudeau airport: the goal being to reduce noise pollution on Montrealers as well as air pollution created by large airplanes at low altitude. (Note that studies have demonstrated that nitrous oxide emissions are greatest at take off and during flight in the troposphere and low stratosphere). When ADM decided without consultation to transfer regular international flights from Mirabel to Dorval in 1997 and later all charter flights and cargo in 2004, we were assured that a curfew would apply as follows:

  • No take-offs between 11:00pm and 7:00am for the loudest aircraft (e.g. Boeing 727) and no landings after 11:30 pm.
  • No take-offs between midnight and 7:00am for quieter aircraft (e.g. Airbus 319, 320, Boeing 747, 757, 767) and no landings after 1:00am.

We were assured that landings or take-offs between 1:00am and 7:00am would be for emergencies only, such as crash landings or organ transport. Moreover, only small aircraft (e.g. Regional Jets, Fokker 100) would be allowed to take off slightly before 7:00am. We were also told that, in 2010, noise levels generated by newer aircraft models would be lower by 66% than those in 1981. We were duped! With time, exemptions to the night curfew given by ADM have increased to include delayed flights due to bad weather or for reasons unforeseen by the transporter. Adding insult to injury, ADM has given permanent exemptions to some regular flights to depart before 7:00 am or to land after 1:00 am. No reasons were given. This lack of transparency makes us doubt as to whether there are any rules regarding a night curfew. ADM has a committee that is responsible for controlling noise levels since 1993. What has this committee done? Very little if you ask us!. Meanwhile, around the world (USA, UK, France) airports have extended no-fly curfews, increased the overall altitude of aircraft during landing, and/or modified landing procedures so as to RESPECT the citizens of the city they are serving. It is important to note that, in Montreal, several boroughs have lowered noise levels that are tolerated day and night. However, municipalities cannot legislate on noise created by aircraft. Thus, we have to take matters into our own hands. Our group intends to act by making people aware of this important issue.

In the meantime, we urge you to log your complaints to airport authorities as well as elected officials. 

More at http://lpdmt.org/qui-sommes-nous/

.

.

.

.