$2-Million U.S. Grant to Aid Soundproofing Near Airport

A $2-million federal grant announced Wednesday will assure that more neighbors of Burbank Airport will soon get the chance to add sound insulation to help cut down on aircraft noise.

Vice President Al Gore announced the funding for an ongoing soundproofing program for residents near the airport. The money will allow about 50 homes to receive sound-proof windows and doors, as well as central air conditioning, weather stripping and acoustic installation, said Sean McCarthy, spokesman for the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

The treatment costs about $42,000 per home, McCarthy said. In all, 2,300 residences are eligible for soundproofing.

The cost of the program, which also includes soundproofing four Burbank and Los Angeles schools, is estimated at $110 million and is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete. So far, the Airport Authority has set aside $7.5 million for the program. Treatment has been completed on nine homes.

McCarthy said the grant showed “the commitment of the Clinton administration to the sound installation program, and specifically to Burbank Airport’s effort to reduce aircraft noise impact in the surrounding communities.”

But Burbank Councilman Ted McConkey downplayed the commitment of the federal funds to the program.

“Two million dollars is peanuts in terms of the homes that need insulation,” McConkey said. “I don’t think it’s much more than a symbolic gesture.”