O’Hare Noise Complaints Continue Decline in 2006

It was reported at the February 9, 2007 O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) meeting that calls to the O'Hare Noise Hotline in 2006 fell for the eighth consecutive year. There were 1,528 complaints regarding aircraft noise during 2006, 430 less than the 1,958 calls recorded in 2005.

[ClickPress, Wed Feb 14 2007] It was reported at the February 9, 2007 O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) meeting that calls to the O'Hare Noise Hotline in 2006 fell for the eighth consecutive year, as shown in the enclosed chart. There were 1,528 complaints regarding aircraft noise during 2006, 430 less than the 1,958 calls recorded in 2005.

The O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC) attributes this substantial decrease over the past several in large part to the gradual reduction of overall aircraft noise around O’Hare International Airport, especially since the retirement of older and noisier Stage-2 and Stage-3 aircraft, including 727 aircraft.

The ONCC has been getting more precise information about aircraft noise around O’Hare International Airport now that City of Chicago is using its non- emergency call center to handle aircraft noise reports. The call center’s operators are trained to handle aircraft noise complaints and live operators are available to take those calls on a 24-hour basis.

The ONCC uses the information collected from noise complaints to identify specific aircraft that deviate from the nighttime Fly Quiet Program, which is designed to reduce aircraft noise over residential areas through the use of preferred departure runways and flight paths. Inquiries are made to the airlines when specific Fly Quiet deviations are identified.

The O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission began working in 1996 to bring together the parties that are most able to reduce aircraft noise with representatives of communities affected by aircraft noise in a partnership to address jet noise at its impact and sources. The Commission's current membership includes the villages of Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Bellwood, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Harwood Heights, Hoffman Estates, Maywood, Melrose Park, Mount Prospect, Niles, Norridge, Palatine, River Grove, River Forest, Rosemont, Schaumburg and Stone Park and; the cities of Des Plaines, Northlake, Oak Park, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows and Chicago; Cook County; and school districts 59 (Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect), 63 (Des Plaines, Niles, Morton Grove and Glenview), 80 (Norridge), 81 (Schiller Park), 84 (Franklin Park), 84½ (River Grove), 85½ (River Grove), 86 (Harwood Heights), 87 (Berkeley, Northlake, Bellwood), 88 (Bellwood, Melrose Park, Stone Park) 89 (Maywood, Melrose Park and Broadview ), 214 (Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove), 234 (Norridge, Harwood Heights), 299 (Chicago Public Schools) and 401 (Elmwood Park).

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