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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0749.017 1998-2000 May 5, 2000,_ _ 'QI'i;; 1 t''1 8 ~l Councilman James Y. Rrakaki 25 Rupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Dear Councilman Arakaki: Please put a stop to the police helicopters flying ouer us. When we bought our retirement house in Hawaiian Paradise Park in 1986, there were few, if any, helicopters of any kind flying ouerhead. (If there had been, we would not ha.ue.bought in Hawai'i.) Their activity is uariable, but we haue counted ouer 80 helicopter flights ouer our house in a day. A neighbor has counted ouer 90. Rs it is, we haue discouraged people from locating here, explaining the gross intrusiueness of the helicopters, and are becoming increasingly serious about leauing ourselues. Euen though we do not want to leaue the house we have spent so much effort and money and years building the way we want it. We. won't haue the time or energy to do this again, but health comes first. I realize you can't do much.about the tourist helicopters,.a.s they are protected by their uery own Federal Auiation flgency. But you can put a stop to the useless, dangerous and unamerican practice of police helicopters flying around, peeking noisily at us all. This type of noise pollution is a prouen medical hazard, both physical and mental. Please, Theodore W.Brazeau HCR 2 Box 6430 Kea'au, Hawaii 96749 P. S. In the short time it took to write this letter, fiue helicopters haue gone noisily overhead, bringing ugliness to a beautiful day. cc: Al Smith, Uice- Chairman Comm. No, -Wl- 01-7 File No.--.,, ©L-- FC1 Ref. To:__ Ref. Date MAY 1 1 20001 From: Noise Pollution Clearinghouse Noise is unwanted sound; it is derived from the Latin word "nausea," meaning seasickness. Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today. Noise from road traffic, jet planes, jet skis, garbage trucks, construction cquipment, manufacturing processes, lawn mowers, leaf blo,x'ers, and boom boxes, to name a fe x , arc among the umY/anted sounds that are routinely broadcast into the air. The problem with noise is not only that it is unwanted, but also that it negati,?oly affects human health and x,oll-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sloop !oss, distraction and lost producti,.?ity, and a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquillity. We experience noise in a number of ways. On some occasions, xre can be both the cause and the -..victim of noise, such as when we are operating noisy appliances or equipment. There are also instances \x/hen -,Y--e experience noise generated by others just as people experience second-hand smoke. While in both instances, noises are equally damaging, second-hand noise is more troubling because it has negative impacts on us but is put into the en\./lronment by others, x~ithcut our consent. The air into which second-hand noise is emitted and on which it tra\_-els is a "commons," a public good. It belongs to no one person or group, but to e\/eryone. People, businesses, and organizations, therefore, do not have unlimited rights to broadcast noise as they please, as if the effects of noise -Y,ere limited only to their pr-i\,/ate property. On the contrary„ they hay,/e an obligation to use the commons in ways that are compatible -Y,ith or do not dotr-act from other uses. People, businesses, and organizations that disregard the obligation to not interfere with others' use and enjoyment of the commons by producing noise pollution are, in many sways, acting like a bully in a school yard. Although perhaps unknovvingly. they nevertheless disregard the rights of others and claim for themselves rights that are not theirs.