Noise around Suvarnabhumi Airport Krittika Lertsawat 1, Lalin Kovudhikulrungsri 2, Surocha Phoolsawat 3 and Tanaphan Suksaard 4 1 Project on the Development on Draft Law of Environmental Judicial Process, 24/9 m.6, Khlongsong, Khlongluang, Pathumthani 12120 THAILAND 2 International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, the Netherlands 3 Air Quality and Noise Management Bureau, Pollution Control Department, Thailand 4 Environmental Research and Training Center, Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, Thailand Abstract: Noise levels in the vicinity of the Suvarnabhumi Airport (BIA) were reported by the relevant authorities, including the noise levels before and after its opening since 2006. The overview of noise around BIA will be illustrated in this paper. Meanwhile, the new guidelines on the airport noise management are under the consideration and development by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) in corporation with other relevant agencies in compatible with the international recommendations on ISO 20906:2009, ISO 1996-1:2003, and ISO 1996-2:2007. It should be into active within the next two years for applying to the airport projects in Thailand. Keywords: Airport Noise, Noise data, Thailand 1. Introduction Since the 29 th September 2006, the Bangkok International Airport (BIA) known as the Donmuang International Airport for more than fifty years was officially altered to be the secondary international airport of Bangkok by the grand opening of the New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA) or Suvarnabhumi Airport. All of the international flights and most of domestic flights were moved to be operated at the NBIA since then. The noise issue was one of the most concerning pollutants around the NBIA, particularly people who were living in the vicinity of the airport underneath its major flight paths. There were many activities or news concerning hazard from noise pollution, publishing in the newspapers or even national news programs in television or radio broadcasts. In 2005, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) and the Environmental Research and Training Center (ERTC) agreed to work co-operatively to conduct the environmental noise measurement around the NBIA in order to lay down the environmental noise levels before the future airport operation in the coming year. Under the designated conditions of the NBIA Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA report), the AOTs shall procure and install at least thirteen noise monitoring positions of the permanent noise monitoring system around the NBIA in order to conduct the post environmental monitoring on aircraft noise levels from the NBIA operation in the future. The permanent noise monitoring system, powerful system to facilitate practical noise abatement measures, is now under installation, directing by AOTs. 1 Corresponding author: krittikanonoise@gmail.com 2 lalin.kov@gmail.com 3 surocha.p@pcd.go.th 4 suksaard4@yahoo.com 1
2. Environmental Noise Levels around Suvarnbhumi Airport before 2006 PCD and ERTC co-operatively conducted the environmental noise monitoring around Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2005 before its operation by government budgetary with difficulty in resources management for allocating sound level meter and manpower in the field work study. Three steps were applied for the environmental noise levels measurement around Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2005. [ERTC and PCD, 2008] (Figure 1) A noise measurement position at the center of the a grid (1 km. x 1 km.) was a representative of noise levels of each grid inside of the 124 square kilometers around Suvarnbhumi Airport. The equivalent type of ISO 61672:2002 class two or class one of sound level meters were using in the field work noise measurement. (Table 1) The 1-minute of Equivalent Continuous Sound Pressure Levels in dba (L eq,1min ) was recorded for 7 consecutive days in each position. The recorded noise levels were calculated into the L eq,24hrs of 7 days to overlay on the based map using the designated color code. [ERTC and PCD, 2008] (Figure 2) The survey data showed that the noise sources were from activities in everyday life of people living in the vicinity of the airport. Almost of the land use were occupied by agricultural activities except the university and industrial estate on the north side. Before the grand opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport on 29 th September 2006, the environmental noise levels around Suvarnbhumi Airport is mostly about -59 dba (L eq,24 hrs ) or even lower than 50 dba near the perimeter of the south part of the airport. [ERTC and PCD, 2008] (Figure 2) 3. Aircraft Noise around Suvarnabhumi Airport (2006-Present) In October 2006, the Suvarnbhumi Airport has operated with an average of about 737 aircraft movements a day without the aircraft noise monitoring system as designated by noise monitoring plan in EIA report. The people living in the vicinity of the airport have filed their complaints to local government agencies, including BMA and PCD against aircraft noise propagating from the airport operation. Many of them were recorded by the national and local headline news in order to put forward the implementation of the noise mitigation and monitoring plan. PCD and ERTC decided to conduct the aircraft noise measurement around Suvarnbhumi Airport for all year round to discrete monitor the aircraft noise situation around the airport. AOTs and Aerothai was asked for support the flight path information, aircraft movements, and the others needed data to the noise measurement. While the discrete environmental noise measurement around airport as designated in the EIA report by means of one part of the post environmental auditing report and airport noise monitoring system procurement have been handled by AOTs administration. The 2006-2007 aircraft noise measurement were conducted by PCD and ERTC in order to monitor the environmental noise situation and compare the noise data with the 2005 environmental noise levels around the Suvarnabhumi Airport before the airport operation taken place. The aircraft noise heard on the ground at the receiver position in the communities around the airport were conducted by the Leq,1min of each aircraft flyover above the receiver point to calculate the Sound Exposure Level (SEL) in dba of daily aircraft noise events for 7 consecutive days in concurrently retrieving the aircraft movements along the specific flight paths and the percentage of runway usage data from air traffic control center, managing by the Aerothai. (Table 2 and 3) The same set of the sound level meters and equipment as shown in Table 1 were used in the field work measurement. The 14 noise measurement positions were shown in Figure 3 (north side) and 4 (south side). The measurement noise data were about 50- dba as illustrated in Figure 6-9. [ERTC and PCD, 2008] During 2007-2010, the environmental noise measurements around the airport were conducted in compliance with the agreement on the post environmental monitoring plan of the EIA report. The 13 noise measurement positions were shown in Figure 5.The noise levels around the airport were about 47-75 dba as shown in Figure 10. While the airport noise monitoring system has been under procurement process and installation under directing of AOTs since then. 2
4. Discussion The environmental noise levels around Suvarnabhumi Airport after September 2006 were evidently higher, caused by the airport operation. The people living in the vicinity of the airport have been suffered from loud noise as soon as the airport has been operated. The noise insulation program has been implemented in small proportion of total sufferer. The noise monitoring system, the most effective tools are now under the installation process since a year ago. The noise situation may get more severe situation with increasing tendency of aircraft movements. The expansion of the airport capacity in the near future will be impossible without the implementation of effective noise mitigation measures around Suvarnbhumi Airport. 5. Conclusion Since 2009, the ISO 20906:2009, ISO 1996-1:2003 and ISO 1996-2:2007 have influenced the environmental noise measurement, including airport noise measurement in Thailand. A regulator, PCD, is now considering the new guidelines on the airport noise measurement in harmonization with the above international standards methods. Day-Night Sound Levels (L dn ) in dba is selected to be discussed and collected the measured and/or predicted noise data among the officers or scientists for almost two years. It should be into active within the next two years for applying to the airport projects in Thailand. Acknowledgement We would like to give our sincere gratitude for support and encouragement from Dr. Ichiro Yamada and Prof. Dr. Lawrence S. Finegolds. This paper cannot be completed without advice and support from my co-authors, and my boss Dr.Suntariya Muanpawong. References Environmental Research and Training Center (ERTC) and Pollution Control Department (PCD), Research Report: Noise Pollution from Suvarnabhumi Airport, (ERTC: Pathumthani), pp. 1-102 (2008). Airport Authority of Thailand (AOTs), 2010, Post Auditing Report on Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan of the Suvarnbhumi Airport on the Operation Phase (June 2010-December 2010), (KMILT: Bangkok). SURVEY Based map for noise measurement (1:50000) Noise measurement position in 124 km 2 NOISE MEASUREMENT At center of the grid Grid size: 1 km. x 1 km. Continuous noise levels of 7 days by L eq,1min measurement MAPPING Overlay of noise levels on map Figure 1 Noise Measurement Method 3
Table 1 Sound Level Meter and Equipment Sound Level Meter Quantity Larson Davis Model 824 10 Larson Davis Model 8 3 01dB Model Opera 3 01dB Model Harmonie 3 01dB Model Symphonie 1 GPS-Garmin 2 Tripods 20 Notebook computer 4 Mobile Unit for noise 1 measurement Source: ERTC and PCD, 2008 Figure 10 Noise Levels around Suvarnbhumi Airport during 2007-2010 Table 2 Aircraft Movement at Suvarnabhumi Airport during October 2006 September 2007 Month Duration (Days) Hourly Maximum Aircraft Movement Average Aircraft Aircraft Movement (Min-Max) Movement October 2006 10 49 722-769 737.80 November 2006 14 52 756-801 773.57 December 2006 29 793-8 816.76 January 2007 25 795-851 820.16 February 2007 21 57 786-886 828.81 March 2007 31 58 661-833 785.32 April 2007 30 48 645-771 688.40 May 2007 29 46 633-671 4.21 June 2007 30 45 628-679 4.07 July 2007 29 46 644-696 671.66 August 2007 29 57 574-7 685.31 September 2007 26 47 647-3 679.96 Total 303 733.00 Source: ERTC and PCD, 2008 Table 3 Percentage of Runway Usage at Suvarnabhumi Airport during October 2006 September 2007 North Runway South Runway Average Aircraft Month West East West East Movement Flights % Flights % Flights % Flights % (Flights/Day) October 2006 356.2 96.4 13.4 3.6 5.8 1.6 362.4 98.4 737.8 November 2006 33.4 86.6 52.4 13.4 37.4 9.6 350.4 90.4 773.6 December 2006 366.6 89.6 41.6 10.4 50.8 12.5 357.7 87.5 816.8 January 2007 385.4 94.8 21.1 5.2 57.8 14.0 3.8 86.0 820.2 February 2007 336.9 80.5 81.1 19.5 30.7 7.4 380.1 92.6 828.8 March 2007 318.7 81.3 72.8 18.7 28.2 7.2 3.6 92.8 785.3 April 2007 261.0 75.8 83.2 24.2 42.9 12.5 301.2 87.5 688.4 May 2007 158.9 48.4 169.3 51.6 129.8 39.8 196.2.2 4.2 June 2007 202.0 61.9 125.0 38.1 143.3 43.8 183.9 56.2 4.1 July 2007 1.5 47.9 174.6 52.1 147.9 44.0 188.4 56.0 671.3 August 2007 298.3 86.8 45.0 13.2 124.0 36.1 218.0 63.9 685.3 September 2007 338.5 100.0 0.0 0.0 197.1 57.7 144.3 42.3 680.0 Total 293.0 79.2 73.3 20.8 83.0 23.9 283.7 76.1 733.0 Sources: ERTC and PCD, 2008 4
Figure 2 Noise Map around Suvarnbhumi Airport during 2004-2005 5
Figure 3 Flyover Aircraft Noise Levels around the North of Suvarnabhumi Airport 2006-2007 Figure 4 Flyover Aircraft Noise Levels around the South of Suvarnabhumi Airport 2006-2007 2006 6 Noise Levels around the Figure 5 Noise Suvarnabhumi Airport during 2007-2010, 2007 recording by the Post Monitoring Noise Data from the EIA Report.
LeqAircraft(average) (dba) 69 68 67 66 64 63 62 61 59 58 57 56 point 1 point 2 point 3 point 4 point 5 LeqAircraft(average) (dba) 50 45 point 6 point 7 Figure 6 Average of the Aircraft Flyover Noise Levels in the North Side (West Runway - 01L-19R) Figure 7 Average of the Aircraft Flyover Noise Levels in the North Side (East Runway 01R-19L) LeqAircraft(average) (dba) 50 point 8 point 9 point 10 LeqAircraft(average) (dba) 50 point 11 point 12 point 13 point 14 45 45 Figure 8 Average of the Aircraft Flyover Noise Levels in the South Side (West Runway - 01L-19R) Figure 9 Average of the Aircraft Flyover Noise Levels in the South Side (East Runway 01R-19L) 7