The transport minister criticized the approval then and now as irresponsible, since the current flight path has already been moved several times in response to resident protests. The Minister of Planning is to make a decision on the proposal in about a month. The Tampa Tribune reports that some Ybor City, Florida, business owners in the Latin Quarter say a proposed citywide noise ordinance would put them out of business. The Tampa Tribune reports that against protests from local restaurant owners, Ybor City, Florida has passed an ordinance to forbid excessive noise in several districts. The Tampa Tribune reports that a proposed new ordinance in Ybor, Florida will limit noise levels in residential areas to 55 decibels at the listener's property line, and downtown businesses will be limited to 85 decibels at their property line.
Critics say that bars are only part of the problem, and note that many noisemakers are exempt.
The Chicago Tribune reports the snowmobile's noise and pollution in Yellowstone National Park is the latest topic in a larger debate of how to appreciate nature on public lands in the United States. USA Today reports a coalition of environmental groups in the United Sates is calling for the ban of recreational snowmobiles in national parks, setting off a contentious debate covering issues from noise and pollution to local economies and civil rights. The Idaho Falls Post Register printed an editorial that explores the issue of how many snowmobiles should be allowed in Yellowstone National Park and its six adjacent national forests in order to avoid conflicts with wildlife and other recreational users and damage to natural resources. The editorial writer says that the scientific answer to the question is fairly straightforward, but a political solution acceptable to everyone is not so easy. USA Today published an editorial about the effects of snowmobiles on Yellowstone National Park and advocates banning their use in National Parks.