VAN NUYS : Panel Seeks Control of Noise Monitor

A Van Nuys Airport citizens advisory panel Tuesday postponed action on a dispute over whether the Los Angeles Department of Airports should put a recently hired noise abatement officer under local supervision to ensure access to information about airport noise.

The advisory council wants Lin Wang, who started at Van Nuys Airport on Nov. 2, to work directly for airport Manager Ron Kochevar.

But Robert Beard, the department’s head of noise monitoring, has said Wang would report to his unit at Los Angeles International Airport, as does the noise abatement officer at Ontario Airport.

Members of the advisory council said they and the department differ on how to reduce noise at the airport, and they prefer access to Wang’s noise reports before they can be filtered by airport department supervisors.

The quarrel between the citizens council and the department stems from a dispute over noise measures last year when the department recommended a noise regulation that the council opposed.