Media Advisory, Contact Brian Iler, 416-835-4384 (cell) or 416-598-0103 X114 (office)

WHAT: Toronto Port Authority Public Meeting on Island Airport Noise

WHERE: Radisson Hotel, 248 Queen's Quay West, Toronto

WHEN: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

The Toronto Port Authority has called a public meeting to review its consultant’s report on airport noise, and seek input from the communities affected by that noise.

The report is found at http://www.torontoport.com/reports/BBTCA-NoiseMgmtInterimReport-Feb2010-V8s.pdf

A Noise Management Advisory Group, representative of waterfront groups was formed by the TPA to provide input. It has met only twice since November 2008, and has not yet had any opportunity to meet and provide input.

These questions, among others, will be asked at the meeting:

·         Why were the scope and terms of reference for this study never discussed with the Group?

·         This study was to set out how maximum daily landings and takeoffs (slots) are to be calculated. Why doesn’t it?

·         Based on prior studies, the limit of slots was in the neighbourhood of 112 per day. But the TPA on Christmas Eve announced up to 212 slots will be permitted. Given the constraints on the Airport, how can that be justified? And why was it announced prior to being provided to the Group for comment?

·         Curfew breaches are a particular source of aggravation by the community.  Particularly  heinous breaches occurred on January 3, 2010. Policies to halt these breaches were to be announced by February 2009. None have. Why not?

·         Why do curfew breaches continue when they are clearly prohibited?

·         Engine maintenance run-ups are a major concern to communities throughout the waterfront. The consultants have recommended without any consultation with the communities that a noise barrier to be built with $900,000 of public funds be erected to address them. Where are details of such a proposal so that the Group might consider its likely effectiveness? Doesn’t it makes much more sense for all run-ups to occur at another location such as Pearson, that is not wedged into a prime residential and recreational area?

·         What happened to permanent monitoring of noise, promised back in 2003?

·         The actual measurements of sound in the report confirm what residents on Bathurst Quay describe anecdotally – there are frequent instances of loud and very loud noise emanating from the airport. Why does the report not consider effective remediation measures, such as prohibiting excessively noisy aircraft?

·          Although copies of previous Noise Exposure Forecast contour studies had been requested of the Airport Manager in March 2009, they have yet to be made available. The TPA is required to comply with NEF Contour limits, but if the communities affected do not have these studies in their possession, how can they be assured that they are being complied with?Why are they not available to the Group?