Draft Environmental Impact Report - California Off Highway Vehicle ...

3.3 Noise
Existing Aircraft Flyover Noise
Airports that are either public or serve a scheduled airline are required to have a comprehensive
land use plan (CLUP) prepared by the airport land use commission (ALUC). The purpose of ALUC
is to:
protect public health, safety, and welfare through the adoption of land use standards that
minimize the public’s exposure to safety hazards and excessive levels of noise and
prevent the encroachment of incompatible land uses around public‐use airports, thereby
preserving the utility of these airports into the future.
The adoption and implementation of a CLUP embodies the land use compatibility guidelines for
height, noise, and safety. The Butte County ALUC is the ALUC for public use airports in Butte
County.
The closest airport to Clay Pit SVRA is the Oroville Municipal Airport, located at the northern and
western boundaries of the project site (Figure 3.3‐3). The Oroville Municipal Airport has two
runways: Runway 1–19 (6,020 feet long and 100 feet wide) and Runway 12–30 (3,540 feet long
and 100 feet wide). The airport does not have an air traffic control tower and is operated as a
noncontrolled airport (City of Oroville 2010).
Three main apron areas exist on the airfield, with the largest apron area located around the Table
Mountain Aviation Fixed Based Operator (FBO) buildings. The FBO apron area is home to fuel
tanks and 38 tie‐downs for parking aircraft. The second largest apron area is located in the
midfield area of the airfield, south of Runway 19, and is home to 76 tie‐downs. The third apron
area is located east of the Table Mountain Golf Course and provides space for five tie‐downs (City
of Oroville 2010).
In 2005 the airport was home to 25 single‐engine fixed‐wing aircraft, two multi‐engine fixed‐wing
aircraft, one helicopter, and four ultra‐light aircraft. A total of 36,000 aircraft operations were
recorded and itinerant aviation traffic was accounted for 20,000 of the 36,000 operations.
Approximately 96% of aircraft operations were related to general (not business related) aviation.
Business‐related traffic contributed 1,500 air taxi operations (City of Oroville 2010).
The majority of Clay Pit SVRA project site is located outside the 55 dBA CNEL noise contour
identified for 2010 aircraft traffic at the Oroville Municipal Airport (Figure 3.3‐3) (City of Oroville
1990:35–36).
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
February 2012 3.3-12 Draft EIR