Airport Noise Abatement in Minneapolis
Cities win airport noise lawsuit
While the City of Minneapolis recognizes the value that the airport brings to the Twin Cities, it also recognizes that our residents deserve protection from noise pollution.
That’s why the Cities of Minneapolis, Richfield and Eagan, as well as the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in 2005 seeking to require the MAC to provide homes with noise abatement (insulation and/or air conditioning, for example) help. The cities’ lawsuit was based on the premise that the MAC violated the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act by impairing airport neighbors’ right to quietude and violating an environmental standard that was created when the MAC agreed to expand its existing noise relief program to the 60 DNL (day/night noise level) contour.
On Jan. 15, 2008, all conditions for a $127.6 million settlement in the cities’ lawsuit were met. That cleared the way for some form of noise mitigation for more than 9,560 homes in Minneapolis, Richfield, Eagan and Bloomington. Plaintiffs in a separate airport noise class action lawsuit (Wiencke et al vs. MAC) agreed to settle their lawsuit in a manner consistent with the cities’ lawsuit.
- More information about the lawsuit can be found on the Airport Noise Lawsuits section of this website.
- View one page summary of settlement in consent decree
- View the full 57 page settlement agreement in the consent decree.
- To view several maps of the area covered by the settlement, click on Settlement Maps.
Lawsuit noise mitigation underway
Noise mitigation is now underway and will continue through 2014. The MAC began contacting groups of eligible homeowners by letter in 2008. The first groups of homeowners that were contacted are those in the highest noise contours. Over the course of the mitigation process, homeowners in the lower noise contours will be contacted after mitigation in the highest noise areas is completed.
Currently, homeowners in the 60, 61 and 62 DNL contours are in Phase 2 of the mitigation program. That phase is subdivided between Phase 2A (those who do not have central air conditioning) and Phase 2B (those homes that already have air conditioning). Homeowners in these areas are being invited to meetings based on their block priority ranking to hear about their mitigation options. Homeowners in Phase 2A will be contacted first; then homeowners in Phase 2B will be contacted.
When you receive an invitation letter, it is very important that you attend the meeting. If you do not respond to the invitation, you risk losing the benefit you are due through the airport noise settlement.
- There are more than 170 blocks in Minneapolis within the Phase 2 program. View a block priority map that indicates your block’s ranking in the mitigation program.
- View the monthly status report of mitigation
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Last updated Jun. 8, 2012