Dear Editor,

I write to thank the Nederland mayor and Board of Trustees for taking a stand against the often-incessant noise pollution that Denver International Airport foists on our community.

The Mountain-Ear’s August 8 edition reported that the BOT has sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration noting that “frequent aircraft noise, indoor rumbling and vibration” caused residents to suffer “disrupted sleep, and interference with outdoor activities,” and has raised concerns about the “possible effects on wildlife, air quality, health, property values and overall quality of life.”

These were the same complaints and concerns Nederland-area residents raised in 1995, when DIA opened. At that time those of us who suddenly became saddled with noise pollution appealed to the Boulder County commissioners, whose response was initially apathetic. Ultimately, though, pressure from our area and other factors appeared to prod the FAA and DIA to route many westbound flights such that noise here was diminished.

But residents of South Boulder complained that these new flight paths disproportionately affected them, and their public pressure seems to have resulted in the flight paths that burden Nederland-area residents now.

The moral of the story is that public pressure, exerted by local governments that are responding to their constituents, has helped improve living conditions. The Nederland Board of Trustees has stood up for us, and while it’s too early to know if this will effect meaningful change, it’s not too early to say “thank you” to the board.

Clint Talbott

Nederland