Air and noise pollution from the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles is harming local residents’ health, according to extensive reporting by a trio of University of Southern California journalism students published in Capital & Main. With support from the Fund, Chris Bibona, Shane Dimapanat and Vani Sanganeria spent more than a year interviewing residents in the neighborhoods around the airport, obtaining government records, probing city officials about noncompliance and distributing a health survey door-to-door. They found that 65% of respondents attributed a health condition to noise and air pollution from the airport, and nearly half said they had consulted a medical professional for what they suspected were airport-related health problems since 2020.
Grantee investigation uncovers health concerns linked to airport in Los Angeles
