Time for Action on Air Station Noise

It appears Brig. Gen. P. Drax Williams, the new commander of Marine Corps air stations in the west, has shrugged off the complaints from those who complain of the noise from El Toro and Tustin air stations (“El Toro’s New Chief Addresses Jet-Noise Problem,” Aug. 17).

Has Gen. Williams forgotten that he is paid and kept by the U.S. taxes? Has Williams forgotten the principle the military employs called “the good neighbor policy?” Has Williams overlooked the other choices that those who complain can institute?

When Williams decided not to act on the complaints of excess noise from the El Toro and Tustin air stations, he invited those who are filing the complaints to notify their elected officials in Washington, D.C., to become involved to resolve the issue. All those individuals who are upset with the noise have to do is write or call their senators or congressmen. If enough people complain, the Congress will have hearings and enact rules and regulations.

Williams may or may not be aware that loud and unusual noise can produce hearing loss, create anxiety and add to stress. The noises produced from El Toro and Tustin air stations could contribute to these problems opening the doors to possible legal action against him and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Williams’ priorities may be with the training and the planes, but those outside the air stations are concerned with quiet and calm. Williams may be the voice of authority, but those who pay taxes, if they unite, are the voice of power and control.

M.D. LUDINGTON

Laguna Hills