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Vancouver Health Service Area
Environmental Health Division
#800-601 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC Canada V5Z 4C2
Telephone (604) 736-2866
Facsimile (604) 736-8651
MEMORANDUM
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Date: |
10/17/2003 |
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To: |
Mayor and Council |
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cc: |
City Manager; City Clerk; Ann McAfee, Co-director of Planning |
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From: |
Doug Glenn, Environmental Health |
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Re: |
YVR Update for Council - October 21, 2003 - Aeronautical Noise Management |
This is a brief `staff' Noise Management update in preparation for YVR's presentation to Council on October 21st.
Vancouver Coastal Health (Environmental Health) has been actively representing Vancouver City at both the overall Environmental Management and at the Aeronautical Noise Management (myself) Committees for some time. Two Vancouver citizen's representatives (Meg Brown and Alan Grimston) are also active members of the ANMC.
The ANMC has been quite active in the formulation and implementation of past and present initiatives for noise reduction at the airport. These initiatives are formalized in `Five Year Management' plans. The current five-year plan is nearing completion and a new plan has been developed.
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Some of the successes of the current plan include the design and construction of a dedicated engine run-up area (to open next year) and a wide variety of noise abatement and air traffic control procedures. Models have been developed to monitor capacity and determine the minimal amount of time that the North Runway will be needed for departures. So far this has only been necessary during maintenance closures of the South Runway but is likely to occur as air traffic grows.
In general, we're quite happy with both the process in devising the new five-year plan and with the results. The plan appears to be quite inclusive of all of the major issues (including the ones of most interest to us, e.g. the development and operation of commercial activities along side of the North Runway). It also appears to strike a good balance between ensuring that existing issues are carried over (where applicable) and putting new issues on the table.
Plans such as this tend to be more contextual in nature and focus on long-term goals. VCH staff will continue to work with YVR staff and the rest of the Aeronautical Noise Management Committee to `flush' out the details of the new initiatives as they proceed. The overall goal will continue to be the minimization or reduction of airport noise in Vancouver.
Should any member of Council have questions or citizen concerns related to airport noise, please don't hesitate to convey them to our office for response.
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