Will the increased military low-level flying activity in Labrador be detrimental to the hearing of humans in the region?

Abstract

The Government of Canada has directed the Department of National Defence to encourage our NATO allies to increase use of their facilities at Goose Bay, Labrador. This has already resulted in a substantial increase in the amount of military flying in the area, and more is projected. Much of the flying is done at very low altitude. The aboriginal people in the region (the Innu and, to a lesser extent, the Inuit) are demanding a halt to low-level military flying, and their representatives claim that the noise from the low-flying jet aircraft can cause hearing loss and ear disease. A survey on the ground in the area measured noise levels up to 127.7 dBA with very brief exposure levels. A task force commission to look at the problem concluded that occasionally low-level subsonic overflights might produce noise levels that were potentially damaging to hearing, but that the probability of this happening is at present very low because of the low frequency of flights. This might change if the frequency of flights increases.