PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Residents of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach said their daily lives are being interrupted and airplane noise is at the center of it.
WATCH BELOW: 'People’s daily lives are being interrupted,' Lew Crampton tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
On Thursday, community members joined forces at a meeting with Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) officials, pushing them for hard, clear data on just how loud the skies have gotten since flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago have redirected air traffic over local neighborhoods.
“People’s daily lives are being interrupted,” said Lew Crampton with the Citizens Committee on Airport Noise (CCAN). “Many people bought homes not expecting that airplanes would be flying over them and now they are, and so the value of their property has to be affected in a negative way and so they’re concerned about that.”
This comes two days after Palm Beach County agreed to write a letter to the Secret Service, asking them to lift flight restrictions while President Donald Trump is gone for the summer.
Tracking the Noise
At the heart of the effort are eight noise monitors currently collecting data in affected neighborhoods—six are permanently installed and two are mobile.
On Thursday, CCAN approved the installation of four more permanent monitors, giving the community a better chance to gauge the full impact.
WPTV's Joel Lopez asked Crampton whether any of the noise data had been shared with CCAN.
“The data has not been presented to us in a form that we can make any evaluation of it," Crampton replied. "There’s a lot of anecdotal data that suggests that they’re definitely too noisy.”
He also pointed out that it’s not just noise, residents may be dealing with oil and soot falling onto houses from planes overhead.
WATCH: WPTV speaks to residents about the airplane noise
What the Numbers Show So Far
Crampton said there’s been about a 15% increase in flights headed east, with roughly 99 days of data collected but not enough yet to “make an impression on the FAA.”
“Has there been any days where it did go over the noise levels in the last 6 months?” Aaron Wormus of CCAN asked airport officials at the meeting.
“I know I’ve seen a few instances where it has exceeded that threshold on a single day for specific monitors,” Laura Beebe, director of Palm Beach County’s Department of Airports, answered.
Beebe declined comment with WPTV after the meeting.
WATCH: Residents frustrated about new flight restrictions
The goal with noise data is to gather enough verified noise data to present to the FAA and the Secret Service, making the case to lift or ease restrictions.
“I think we need to be clear on that,” Crampton said. “When the president is here, every measure that can be taken should be taken, but when he’s not here, especially during the summer, that’s a major problem for everyone.”
The future of what the restrictions will be is uncertain.
Currently, restrictions are in place permanently until October, which is why Beebe stated during the meeting.
“Because it’s temporary, we don’t know what the final result will be," she said.
Looking at Bigger Solutions
CCAN also floated the idea of conducting a Part 150 study, a federal program designed to help airports evaluate and reduce aircraft noise impacts on surrounding communities — something that hasn’t been done at PBI in more than 30 years.
Beebe pointed out the study is costly, lengthy, and must be initiated by Palm Beach County as the official airport sponsor, with FAA funding.
A Small Win
There is one bit of progress, however, the Secret Service has recently allowed general aviation aircrafts and air taxis to depart south, removing about 10% to 15% of air traffic from neighborhoods like Flamingo Park.
“Do you have a message for residents who are sick of the noise?” Lopez asked Crampton.
“The message is hang in there, get as much data as you possibly can, and the more people who are part of it the better,” Crampton responded.
What’s Next
CCAN is now lobbying for commercial airlines to be allowed over Mar-a-Lago, noting they already undergo significant security checks.
“If you can open the road, why can’t you revert back to the original flight path? Cars aren’t searched, passengers aren’t searched when they drive by Mar-a-Lago. It makes no sense to me at all,” Committee member Martin Klein said.
The next CCAN meeting is scheduled for June and residents hope by then they’ll have comprehensive, clearly presented noise data to strengthen their case.
Read more of WPTV's coverage below:
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