Sound Insulation Treatment Repair and Replacement Program Act
This bill creates a FAA-administered pilot program to repair or replace sound insulation in residential buildings near major airports that previously received Federal sound-insulation assistance. Up to four large hub public-use airports would participate, and eligible projects can receive a one-time waiver of certain funding requirements if the residence meets specific conditions related to noise exposure (DNL 65-75 dB), prior installation before 2002, and documented deterioration or poor-quality insulation that affects current interior noise levels (targeting a 5 dB further reduction). The bill also adds a special rule to exclude from the new project cost calculations any costs the Government has already paid, and authorizes periodic surveys of properties to assess effectiveness and identify additional eligible properties. In short, the act aims to pilot a targeted, government-assisted repair/replacement program for sound insulation in homes around major airports, under stricter eligibility criteria and with an emphasis on avoiding double-counting past government expenditures and on measuring ongoing effectiveness.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a pilot program for sound insulation repair and replacement at up to 4 large hub airports, funded by local operators using non-aeronautical revenue, with a one-time waiver of certain funding requirements for eligible projects.
- 2Eligibility for the waiver requires: good-faith efforts to use warranties/insurance/legal remedies for the prior insulation; prior installation before 2002; a qualified noise auditor finding that the insulation caused structural deterioration or used low-quality materials; and current interior noise exceeding 45 dB with a potential 5 dB reduction from new insulation.
- 3A special rule (in 49 U.S.C. 47109(i)) says for these waived projects, the allowable project cost shall be calculated without considering any costs the Government previously paid—essentially preventing prior government spending from reducing the new project’s funding capacity.
- 4Optional authority for airports to conduct periodic surveys of properties where insulation repair/replacement occurred, funded as allowable costs, to assess effectiveness and identify additional eligible properties.
- 5Surveys are limited to properties where the owner is interested and where prior assistance occurred, focusing on evaluating current effectiveness of the insulation.