$130 Million For Airport Noise-Proofing
The Metropolitan Airports Commission approved a $130 million dollar settlement this Monday in a lawsuit filed by the cities of Eagan, Minneapolis, and Richfield over airport noise.
According to the Pioneer Press, the settlement will be under review today.
The lawsuit filed two years ago claims the MAC left out thousands of homes in their noise-insulation plan.
The Pioneer Press says the proposal will offer soundproofing improvements which include central air conditioning installation, wall and attic insulation, and chimney treatments.
Most of the $130 million will finance these repairs and reimburse home-owners who already had improvements installed.
The MAC intends to pay the money through airline fees and airport revenue from parking and concessions, according to the Pioneer Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Hennepin County District Court must approve the proposal.
To read the full article, go to: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_7188304?source=email
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Analysis:
The Pioneer Press article on the multi-million dollar settlement was written by Maricella Miranda. It is extremely detailed in terms of the settlement's provisions and even includes specific dollar amounts. Obviously the reporter did a lot of research to get the data. She also presents opinions from both the MAC and city administrators to maintain balance in the story. There is a lot of information to digest, and the writing is very dense because of this, but overall, the article does a good job of informing the reader about the past, present, and future of the Minneapolis airport noise issue. I called Maricella to ask about her approach in writing local government stories, but I got her voicemail instead. I will try to get her response posted as soon as she calls back.