Tri-Cities Airport (KPSC) is operated by the Port of Pasco and sits across the Columbia River in Franklin County, not Kennewick. Aircraft noise in Kennewick is comprehensively exempt from local and state environmental noise regulation under WAC 173-60-050(2), which excludes sounds originating from aircraft in flight and from flight operations at airports. Federal law (49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq.) and FAA Part 150 (14 C.F.R. Part 150) place noise compatibility planning under federal control, and field operations at PSC are managed by the Port of Pasco.
Aircraft noise that crosses Kennewick from approaches to and departures from Tri-Cities Airport (KPSC) is governed by federal law, not by the Kennewick Municipal Code. WAC 173-60-050(2) provides that sounds originating from aircraft in flight and sounds that originate at airports and are directly related to flight operations are exempt from the state's environmental noise standards in WAC 173-60-040. At the federal level, the Airport Noise and Capacity Act, 49 U.S.C. 47521 et seq., and the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 150 program (14 C.F.R. Part 150) provide the framework for voluntary airport noise compatibility studies and FAA-approved noise abatement procedures; airport sponsors that prepare Part 150 studies submit them for FAA review and approval. The Port of Pasco operates PSC under FAA Part 139 and any applicable noise compatibility program. Ground noise from non-flight airport activities (idling vehicles, parking-lot operations) is regulated by WAC 173-60 if it crosses to a residential receiver, but flight noise itself is preempted. Kennewick lacks authority to set local aircraft noise limits even if it wished to.
Aircraft noise complaints are not enforceable by Kennewick. Complaints route to the Port of Pasco's airport administration as the airport sponsor and to the Federal Aviation Administration's regional office. Aircraft operators that violate FAA-approved Part 150 noise abatement procedures may face federal enforcement; the FAA holds exclusive authority over aircraft operations and noise emissions in flight.
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