LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS APPROVES LETTER OF AGREEMENT, ALLOCATES $5.6 MILLION TO CITY OF EL SEGUNDO FOR RESIDENTIAL SOUNDPROOFING

(Los Angeles California – August 15, 2011)  The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today approved a Letter of Agreement between the City of El Segundo and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and awarded a $5,587,500 grant for El Segundo’s residential sound-insulation program. 

The grant will be combined with three Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants totaling $12,790,345 that will enable El Segundo to soundproof an estimated 406 dwelling units (single- and multi-family units) impacted by operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  

Of the 406 dwelling units, 42 are no longer considered eligible for FAA funding, so Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is allocating $2,389,914 (or 42 percent) of the nearly $5.6-million grant to pay the entire cost of soundproofing these 42 residences. 

The project cost covers all acoustical, architectural, engineering, construction and administrative activities.  Construction contractors typically install double-paned windows, solid-core doors, fireplace doors and dampers, attic baffles, insulation and other elements to achieve a noise-level reduction of approximately one-half in a home’s interior. 

The average cost to soundproof a single-family home in the City of El Segundo is approximately $45,000, while a multi-family residence is approximately $30,000 per dwelling unit.

The grant is in accordance with the LAX Master Plan Stipulated Settlement reached February 16, 2006, with the City of Segundo and six other entities, which called for specified annual noise-mitigation grants.  This allocation satisfies LAWA’s funding requirement for the City of El Segundo for calendar year 2010.  Since entering the settlement agreement, the City of El Segundo has received sound-insulation grants from LAWA totaling $20,487,500.  To date, El Segundo has sound insulated 1,030 dwelling units with approximately 3,500 units remaining.