Probability of receiving a blast noise complaint: Spatial analysis of complaint behavior around military installations

Abstract

This study explores the probability of receiving a blast noise complaint in response to military training noise. Community noise complaints are an ongoing impediment to military training and often result in training curfews and restrictions. As such, we want to understand where, by whom, and under what conditions complaints are used as a coping strategy in response to annoyance caused by military training noise. We build upon previous research conducted (Nykaza et al., 2012), incorporating physical and human geography into the analysis to identify the situational context of the population subset that complains about military noise. Using both spatial and statistical analysis, we look at land use (LULC), census and socio-economic housing data paired with complaint and noise monitor data collected around one US Military Installation, to examine who (i.e., what subset of the population) is more likely to use complaint behavior as a coping strategy. Our results support the development of a noise complaint-forecasting model that military range managers can use to improve the coordination, communication, and relationships with surrounding communities.