While the Pennsylvania politicians couldn’t (wouldn’t) come up with $6,630, their counterparts in Florida’s Martin County are getting set to part with millions to protect Witham Field. The FAA has approved the county’s plan to buy homes near the end of the main runway and to soundproof others, all at taxpayers’ expense, to ease the effect of noise on residents. Airport director Mike Moon said the county now has to find ways (like borrowing) to pay for the houses and soundproofing and that might take some time. Meanwhile, the FAA has also rejected a couple of noise-prevention measures in the plan and that has some local residents making a racket. The county had hoped to ban older, noisier jets from the airport but the FAA said such a ban isn’t warranted because so few so-called Stage One aircraft use Witham. Airport activist Dave Shore cried foul. “It’s shocking,” Shore told The Palm Beach Post. “Give the community a break. They are loudest, noisiest, most polluting of all jets.” The FAA also rejected a voluntary noise-reducing takeoff procedure that would steer aircraft away from homes and over water.
