By Mandi Rice, St. Louis Public Radio
ST. LOUIS – Lambert Airport is recommending that its neighboring cities take new actions to mitigate the impact of airplane noise.
The suggestions include changing building codes and zoning regulations to reduce the impact of noise, according to Jeff Lea, a spokesman for the airport.
He said cities are also being advised to start buyer-beware programs.
"It's a suggestion to the cities that they could advise prospective homeowners -- buyers that are looking at the area -- that the home they may be looking at is in a noise impact area," Lea said.
The suggestions are part of a federally-mandated noise study which all U.S. airports must complete every five years. The study, currently in a final draft, found that Lambert had already met federal standards to mitigate noise, Lea said.
"The airport has been very active over the last decade or so to address noise level," Lea said. "They've done that around the communities that we border either by buying property or installing sound insulation in homes and other structures."
Quieter jet engines, smaller planes and fewer flights out of Lambert also helped to limit noise, Lea said.
Officials took public comments on the report on November 4.