Burbank Airport Expansion

Former Burbank Airport commissioner Robert Garcin recently criticized your editorial calling for compromise by the cities of Glendale and Pasadena in the controversy over Burbank Airport expansion (“Airport Control,” Nov. 16). I believe his letter confuses rather than clarifies the issues of noise and pollution and control.

Commercial jet flights have tripled since 1978 public ownership. Of course, there is a bigger noise problem. And of course, creating an unconstrained growth capacity to handle double or triple the current number of flights will increase the existing noise problem.

Computer generated noise-monitoring reports show a reduction in the number of acres severely impacted by jet noise since 1978. The Airport Authority’s computer “averages’ jet noise over a 24-hour period. Their noise monitoring reports are sheer nonsense. It’s like hitting you in the head with bricks all day and then averaging the number of bricks thrown at you; therefore it won’t hurt as much! yeah, right . . .

In spite of this computer-generated magic, recent estimates place the cost of residential soundproofing at $100 million. Sure sounds like a noise problem to me. Also, who wants to live summer and winter in a soundproofed home, not able to open a window. The noise outside has not diminished.

It is time that the city of Burbank seeks state legislative action to dissolve the three-city joint power airport operating agreement. The airport is located in BURBANK; let Burbank own and run the airport.

LORI DINKIN

Valley Village