WASHINGTON, DC In an effort to help more families who are adversely affected by airport noise, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) announced today that the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) will receive $15 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to acquire homes that are located near Green Airport and included in the present voluntary home acquisition program. This is a $5 million increase over last years award of $10 million."This funding will help many families who have been forced to deal with the problem of airport noise," said Reed. "Noise issues still persist for many home and business owners and we must continue to address the issue with transportation and FAA officials. With the recent climb in real estate prices, this increase in funding will help more Rhode Islanders participating in the voluntary home acquisition program get fair market value for their home."Mark Brewer, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation stated, "We are appreciative of the efforts of Senator Reed and the members of our congressional delegation to obtain federal funding for important airport projects. This $15 million allocated to the important voluntary home acquisition program will accelerate the buyout of additional homes in Warwick."In August of 1998, Reed brought FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to Green to show her the airport's growth and the related growing pains that expansion has had on the local community, especially in terms of greater aircraft noise. Reed also conducted meetings with FAA Noise Director Paul Galis and other FAA officials to discuss the situation at T.F.Green Airport in light of the tremendous growth the airport has experienced over the last several years. In addition, Reed urged the FAA to carefully study the increased airport traffic to determine what additional steps would be needed to abate airport noise and secured a commitment to increase the amount FAA funds for soundproofing at Green.