Denver International Airport officials say 2008 was the first year in the airport’s 14-year history that it recorded no serious noise violations.
Each serious aircraft-noise violation makes DIA liable to pay a $500,000 penalty to Adams County and some of its cities. Since DIA opened in 1995, the airport has paid the jurisdictions more than $40 million for noise violations.
At the beginning of this decade, DIA recorded as many as 24 noise violations in one year.
More recently, the airport recorded one noise violation in each of three years — 2005, 2006 and 2007.
To reduce or eliminate violations, DIA has relied on a program that tries to avoid sending especially noisy aircraft, such as MD-80s, on takeoffs to the west from DIA. That routing puts the planes over populated areas, and it can lead to violations.
The airport was able to avoid a violation last year because it has refined the voluntary aircraft-routing system, and “fewer of the noisiest planes” are flying out of DIA, said Mike McKee, the airport’s noise-abatement officer.
DIA struck a deal with Adams County in 1988 that calls for the penalties to be paid if aircraft noise exceeds pre-established levels.
A computerized system charts radar tracks of all DIA flights and then calculates noise levels for aircraft at 101 geographic points near the airport based on the type of plane, its altitude and other factors. Noise that exceeds pre-set levels can lead to a violation.
DIA’s success in avoiding any serious violations in 2008 also had the effect of “curing” the airport’s single noise violation in 2007, at a location near Buckley Air Force Base.
A cure, which means no penalty payment must be made, occurs when a violation is recorded at one of the 101 geographic points and then the following year, the noise level at that point gets back within compliance.
The airport said DIA noise complaints in 2008 from residents of the area declined 12 percent, to 942, from the previous year. About 54 percent of the complaints came from five households, according to DIA.
