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CHIANG MAI AIRPORT

AoT begins compensation talks over noise pollution

CHEEWIN SATTHA

AoT representatives met affected residents for the first time yesterday since the 300 metre extension of the sole runway was completed last year.

The expansion is aimed at developing the northern airport as a regional air transport hub.

The runway is now 3.4km long and can comfortably serve large planes operating on international routes.

Airport deputy director Wichai Pholmoon said the agency had surveyed nearby communities in tambon Mae Hia of Muang district and realised that they were disturbed by noise from the airport. He said he would coordinate assistance with AoT headquarters in Bangkok and propose solutions.

Mae Hia tambon mayor Thanawat Yodjai told the meeting that many villages were affected. Local people had opposed the runway extension from the beginning, he said, and he accused AoT's consultants of concealing the findings of studies on possible adverse impacts made before the extension was built.

An official from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning said the AoT's consultants had warned that surrounding communities would probably suffer from noise, but the airport authorities had ignored the information.

A Pollution Control Department study concluded that the noise mainly affects communities to the south of the airport, as most flights take off in that direction.

The number of flights in and out of the airport has risen from 30,292 in 1993 to 37,808 last year. The noise pollution would get worse if air traffic continued to increase, the department warned.

Kularb Watananiwat, who represented the affected villagers, said the safe noise level was 70 decibels.

But engineers from Chiang Mai University found the 24-hour average for noise levels in the airport's vicinity was 73.5 to 77.5 decibels, she said.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/21May2008_news14.php