Aircraft Noise at Grand Canyon, Other Parks Worsens, Report Says

Aircraft noise over the Grand Canyon and several other national parks is bad and getting worse, the Interior Department said Monday, urging tighter flight restrictions and use of quieter aircraft.

In a report to Congress, the department said current limits on air tour operators at national parks are failing to stem the growing noise pollution that often destroys the solitude of nature for visitors.

The department urged use of quieter helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and announced that, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, it is developing new regulations aimed at reducing park noise over the next 15 years.

“The problem isn’t going to be resolved by minimum altitude rules,” said George Frampton Jr., assistant secretary.

The department said it was reviewing incentives that might persuade air tour operators to use quieter equipment, but Frampton also did not rule out eventually imposing regulations to limit aircraft engine noise levels. The department also proposed further flight-length limits, expanded no-fly zones and narrowed corridors for aircraft operation.

But the Grand Canyon is not the only park with aircraft noise problems. Nearly a third of the parks, monuments and scenic areas administered by the Park Service have problems with aircraft, the report to Congress said.