The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority will receive nearly $26 million in two airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration for noise mitigation measures, officials announced Tuesday.
The $25.9 million in grants marks the largest annual amount given to the authority by the FAA for its Quieter Home Program.
The program is San Diego International Airport's residential sound insulation program. The FAA has determined that certain residences around SAN may be eligible for sound insulation treatments to mitigate aircraft noise, and has set a goal of reducing noise levels for eligible residents by at least five decibels inside the home.
"Given the location of our airport and its proximity to homes and businesses, there are many opportunities for this money to be utilized," said Kimberly Becker, Airport Authority president and CEO. "We appreciate the FAA's acknowledgment of our efforts to combat aircraft noise through the Quieter Home Program."
Primarily, the grant funding will go toward sound-insulating approximately 400 to 500 homes per year, depending on the size of the home. The program recently expanded to sound-insulating non-residential facilities, and a portion of the grant will treat two church and preschool facilities in the areas most impacted by aircraft noise.
The authority estimates that once the program is initiated, one non-residential noise-sensitive property can be sound-insulated in one year.
"The amount provided to the Airport Authority to conduct the Quieter Home Program is well above what we received last year and acknowledges the continuous hard work we've conducted during the pandemic," said Sjohnna Knack, program manager of planning and environmental affairs -- the division that deals with airplane noise. "I encourage area residents to reach out for more information and see if they are eligible to benefit from the Quieter Home Program. Most of the funds support the local vendors, contractors, and staff which benefits our region."
Through the program, homes may receive retrofitted exterior doors and windows, installation of a ventilation system and other items such as weather stripping and caulking around openings.
Since its inception, the program has retrofitted more than 4,500 single-family and multi-family residences immediately east and west of the airport.
For more information on the Quieter Home Program, visit san.org/airportnoise.
