After the announcement by Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau of the establishment a network of noise monitoring stations across northern areas of the metropolis, several people have told me about the response Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) gave to reporters: “This data is not reliable. ”
Could we expect anything else from a private organization that has distinguished itself in its arrogant attitude towards citizens and in stagnation at all costs on matters of noise pollution? To ask the question is obviously to answer it.
ADM noise measuring stations go back to 2002. Since then, progression in technology has led to miniaturization and democratization of control devices. With the key to reduced costs. This is what has allowed our supplier to sell 275 of these stations in Europe to people who like us are bothered by aircraft noise. These stations are pre-calibrated, which has a favorable impact on costs. Of course, measurements may not be 100% accurate, but the difference with reality is very small, and they still establish whether or not there is a problem. For example, our stations installed a little way from “official” fightpaths either in Villeray, a little to the north of Jean-Talon, or in Ahuntsic, north of Henri-Bourassa, are those that show the least aircraft noise. Our stations are reliable indicators and ADM, in its ivory tower, with its communication strategists and slew of lawyers, can say what they want to discredit us.
ADM, understandably, is seeking to make profits from its airport infrastructure, while at the same time it polices the airways, so as to report to Transport Canada the names of carriers who violate the curfew with the aim of imposing fines and, simultaneously, it manages resident complaints about noise. A difficult dilemma when you think about it. ADM refusing to make money to preserve the tranquility of residents – near and far? Come on!
We asked the CEO of ADM, James Cherry, to meet us. Well, let’s see, why he should he lower himself to speak with citizens unhappy with his management?
Yet, when we look at ADM’s mission on its website, it can be seen that this organization in black and white, commits to:
• Work to improve the protection of the environment with governmental authorities, the community and local stakeholders;
• prevent pollution and minimize environmental impacts arising from both the operation and development of its airports as well as its emissions;
• Aéroports de Montreal aims to become an airport manager ranking among the best in the world, distinguished by the quality of its customer service and by its rigor, its efficiency and innovation.
In fact ADM is distinguished by its contempt for local residents, through its opaque management and prehistoric soundscape management. In Europe, independent agencies are responsible for managing the noise environment of airports, imposing fines on carriers whose fleet is noisy or that land or take off at odd hours. It is a fact that here, Transport Canada is really not a department that takes any responsibility. It prefers to delegate to industry the burden of regulating itself. The fact is that this gives immense freedom to private companies, which are the preserve of a few individuals, like ADM or NAV Canada, which cosy up to carriers and are seduced by the lure of money and the establishment of their little kingdoms. And we are their subjects who have nothing to say?
In the last nine months, ADM generated profits of $ 22.4 million. It could easily pay for additional measuring stations in Mont-Royal, Villeray, Ahuntsic and St. Laurent. Our citizens’ committee has rightly prompted ADM to take action and install the stations they say are superior to ours in places where les Pollués have installed stations, with the aim of comparing resulting data. Of course, ADM has refused and continues to stick to its positions: for them, aircraft noise is negligible in our neighborhoods, is imagined, whatever! So we’re going to the extent of inventing problems in order to spend thousands of dollars out of pocket to document decibel levels produced …