LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS ALLOCATES $9.2 MILLION TO INGLEWOOD

  (Los Angeles, California – May 18, 2009)  The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today approved a grant of $9.2 million from Los Angeles World Airports to the City of Inglewood for calendar year 2008.  The grant supplements a $12-million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration that the City of Inglewoodwas awarded to soundproof approximately 830 dwellings impacted by noise from operations at Los AngelesInternational Airport (LAX).

            LAWA’s grant is in accordance with mitigation measures set forth in the LAX Master Plan Stipulated Settlement reached February 16, 2006, with the County of Los Angeles, City of El Segundo, Culver City, and the City of Inglewood.  The settlement called for specified annual noise mitigation grants to the City of Inglewoodof $12.25 million in calendar years 2006 and 2007, and $9.2 million annually from 2008 through 2015.  With today’s award, the City of Inglewood has received $33.7 million in settlement commitments from Los Angeles World Airports.

            The FAA approved LAWA’s Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program at LAX, thereby making land-use mitigation projects within the Cities of Los Angeles, El Segundo, Inglewood and the unincorporated areas of Los AngelesCounty eligible for FAA funding.  The LAX Airport Noise Mitigation Program is based upon a contour map of Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) established during Fourth Quarter 1992, which identified over 32,000 eligible residential units around LAX.  While the FAR Part 150 Noise Contour has shrunk since 1992 due to newer, quieter jets operating at LAX, LAWA’s

noise mitigation program continues to be based upon 1992 noise levels. Approximately 11,600

 units are in the City of Inglewood within both the fourth quarter 1992 CNEL contour and the LAX Part 150 contour.                

            Inglewood will use $2.4 million of today’s $9.2 million to provide a required 20 percent local share/match for the FAA grant to soundproof eligible homes.  The remaining $6.8 million LAWA funds will be used to soundproof homes that are in the fourth quarter 1992 contour, but outside the FAR Part 150 noise contour, and therefore, not eligible for FAA funding. 

            The total project cost covers all acoustical, architectural, engineering administration and construction estimated costs.  This project funds sound insulation for approximately 664 dwelling units located in four different residential areas ofInglewood.  

            Since 1984, the City of Inglewood has participated in LAWA’s Airport Noise Mitigation Programs.  The City of Inglewood has received $82 million and $54 million grants from FAA and LAWA, respectively, to make over 4,950 dwelling units land-use compatible with California State Noise Standards.  Of these dwellings, 3,350 units were mitigated through soundproofing and another 1,600 units were converted to compatible land uses through acquisition and “land recycling.”          

            The City of Inglewood is located adjacent to LAX and has an established program to provide noise mitigation measures to residential areas that are within LAWA’s and FAA’s noise contours.