About the EPA document collection held by the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse.
Subject Index: A B C E G H I L M O P R S T U W
Title Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W #
Single page lists: authors subjects titles
Most useful EPA documents
General Description of a Method for Desk Calculation of Day-Night Levels (Ldn) Resulting From Civil Aircraft Operations
Dwight E. Bishop
July 1975
PDF
This memo outlines a basic method for estimating day-night (Ldn) values at a particular land area resulting from aircraft operations. The method is illustrated in Section IV by means of several examples. Desk calculations will provide the Ldn value at defined ground locations for noise resulting from aircraft takeoffs or landings from an airport. The calculations utilize noise charts which will provide noise information for most civil aircraft currently operating in the country for a variety of takeoff and landing operations (including noise abatement procedures). The handbook will provide information for estimating Ldn values for both: (a) preliminary assessment where detailed information and aircraft operation is not available and (b) detailed assessment when accurate information on aircraft operations and flight paths known. Naturally, the later assessment requires much more extensive information on aircraft operations and may be much more time consuming to calculate. The method has been developed for desk calculations of Ldn values for relatively small land areas. It is not ntended for developing noise exposure contours around an entire airport. Desk calculations will generally be much too time consuming to develop full sets of contours. When noise contours over a considerable area are needed, several computer programs are currently available and should be used. The basic noise information which is to be provided ntheandbook is identical to that used in some of the current computer programs for calculating Ldn contours. The basic steps in calculating Ldn values are relatively simple and straightforward. However, since the number of calculations multiply by the number of types of aircraft and the kinds of operations involved, the calculations can be quite lengthy when calculating noise exposure near an airport where the noise is due to operations on several runways by a variety of different types of aircraft.
General Motors Corporation Letter to EPA Regarding Noise Cost Data re Recission of the January 1, 1983 80 dB Noise Emission Standard for Medium and Heavy Trucks
June 1981
PDF
GenRad - Acoustic Measurement/Analysis Instruments
PDF
Founded in 1915 as the General Radio Company, GenRad has earned a strong reputation for product innovation, quality, and reliability in the test and measurement industry.
Glossary of Environmental Terms and Acronym List
December 1989
PDF
This glossary of environmental and acronym list replaces "Common Environmental Terms," published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1974 and revised in 1978. It is designed to give the user an explanation of the more commonly used environmental terms appearing in EPA publications, news releases and other Agency documents available to the general public, students, the news media, and Agency employees. The terms and definitions in this publication were selected to give the user a general sense of what a term or phrase means in relatively non-technical language, although it was obviously necessary to use some scientific terminology. The terms selected for inclusion came from previously published lists, internal glossaries produced by various programs, and specific suggestions made by many Agency programs and offices. The chemicals and pesticides selected for inclusion were those most frequently referred to in Agency publications or which are the subject of major EPA regulatory or program activities. Definitions or information about substances or program activities not included in this glossary may be found in EPA libraries or scientific/technical reference documents or may be obtained from the various program offices. The definitions do not constitute the Agency's official use of terms and phrases for regulatory purposes. Nothing in this document should be construed to in any way alter or supplant any other federal document. Official terminology may be found in the laws and related regulations as published in such sources as the Congressional Record and the Federal Register.
Grove Manufacturing Company Response to ONAC Docket 81-02 (Medium and Heavy Trucks) ANR-490
April 1981
PDF
Growth Forecast by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry Economics - U.S. Industrial Outlook 1981
PDF
Guidance Manual for Police in State and Local Noise Enforcement Procedures
PDF
The purpose of this manual is to provide law enforcement personnel with the necessary technical skills and procedures to enforce State and Local motor vehicle noise laws. The manual has been written for use by the police officer charged with the enforcement responsibilities, as well as his supervisor.
A Guide to Airborne, Impact, and Structureborne Noise Control in Multifamily Dwellings
PDF
Under the sponsorship of the Federal Housing Administration Technical Studies Program, the National Bureau of Standards has developed and prepared this Guide for the benefit of architects, designers, contractors, builders, and housing officials to assist them in meeting the growing public demand for control of the building noise problem, particularly in multifamily dwellings. Surveys have established that the most common complaint among apartment dwellers where noise is involved is its transmission from one apartment to another within the building. Typical noise sources are television, radio, stereo, occupant activity, plumbing fixtures, electro-mechanical equipment, and household appliances. To minimize the annoying disturbance caused by these sources, architects must have a general knowledge of the principles of noise transmission and be able to apply proper design techniques in order to provide effective controls. With these objectives in mind, this Guide incorporates a broad range of criteria appropriate for isolating airborne, impact, and structure-borne noise associated with residential construction. Sound classifications represented in the most common types of building construction are identified. Also included are summaries of a number of foreign codes now in existence. This Guide incorporates previous impact noise research preferred by Bolt Beranek and Newman and sponsored by FHA. The FHA Minimum Property Standards will reference this NBS Guide.
Guide to Purchasing Quieter Products and Services - A Handbook for Officials of Local, State, and Federal Government Units Who Want to Reduce Noise in Their Communities Through Purchases of Items That Make Less Noise
May 1980
PDF
This guide has been prepared to help purchasing officers and other governmental officials develop purchasing programs that complement other noise reduction efforts in their communities. Comprehensive noise control programs will involve the purchase of quieter models of new equipment, and they will limit the noise that can be generated during the provision of a governmental service by a contractor.
Guide to the Soundproofing of Existing Homes Against Exterior Noise
October 1977
PDF
This manual was prepared for the city of Los Angeles Department of Airports and is reprinted and distributed with their permission. This manual should be of help to the designer in selecting and conceptualizing various methods of soundproofing existing homes. The manual would be useful with the previously distributed TechShare Report No. TS-77-202, "Insulation of Buildings Against Highway Noise," and the current distribution of TechShare Report No. FHWA TS-77-220 titled "Background Report on Outdoor Indoor Noise Reduction Calculation Procedures Employing the Exterior Wall Noise Rating (EWNR) Method." This guide presents the various successful methods used in a 1970 pilot project to increase the noise reduction capabilities of existing houses for the Los Angeles Department of Airports. Three categories of modification from minor to extensive are covered. The guide also provides a basic understanding of the elements of noise control and the systematic method of soundproofing houses. This guide expands the repertory of methods and techniques of reducing the impact of highway traffic noise on its neighbors.
Guidelines and Sample Training Workbook for Police Enforcement of Noise Regulations
February 1980
PDF
This report is one of the products of a contract between the EPA's Noise Enforcement Division and Jack Faucett Associates, Inc. One purpose of the contract is to develop materials suitable for use in training State and local police officers to enforce their noise control laws.
Guidelines for a Training Program for Audiometric Technicians
Aram Glorig
September 1973
PDF
This course is designed to train audiometric technicians who will conduct pure-tone air conduction tests as part of a program of Hearing Conservation in Noise. A minimum of two days is required for the completion of the course, and a minimum requisite time for each of the topics is indicated in the course outline.
Guidelines for Considering Noise in Land Use Planning and Control
June 1980
PDF
In recent years noise has become a recognized factor in the community planning process. Some significant advancements are being made in the reduction of noise at its source; however, noise cannot be eliminated completely. Local, state, and Federal agencies, in recognition of this fact, have developed guidelines and procedures to deal with noise in the community land use planning process. A number of Federal agencies have published policies and/or guidance on noise and land use. These agencies have done this for several different reasons: to carry out public law mandates to protect the public health and welfare and provide for environmental enhancement; to serve as the basis for grant approvals; and to integrate the consideration of noise into the overall comprehensive planning and interagency/intergovernmental coordination process. Because the purposes and uses of these policy and guidance packages are often different, they can appear to be inconsistent and incomparable. This situation may have inhibited state and local planning and decision making with respect to noise and land use and, thus, inhibited consideration of noise in various Federal-grant-in-aid programs. The purpose of this document is to put the various Federal agency policy and guidance packages into perspective. Although this document does not replace the individual Federal agency material, it can serve as the departure point for dealing with each agency's programs and facilitate the consideration of noise in all land use planning and interagency/intergovernmental coordination process. Although several of these Federal programs include noise standards or guidelines as part of their eligibility and performance criteria, the primary responsibility for integrating noise considerations into the planning process rests with local government which generally has exclusive control over actual land development. Noise, like soil conditions, physiographic features, seismic stability, floodplains and other considerations, is a valid land use determinant. Scientific evidence clearly points to noise as not simply a nuisance but an important health and welfare concern. The purpose of considering noise in the land use planning process is not to prevent development but rather to encourage development that is compatible with various noise levels. The objective is to guide noise sensitive land uses away from the noise and encourage non-sensitive land uses where there is noise. Where this is not possible, measures should be included in development projects to reduce the effects of noise. Section 1 presents consolidated Federal agency land use compatibility guidelines. Section 2 overviews techniques by which the guidelines can be implemented. Section 3 briefly overviews the major Federal agency noise control policies and programs. The Appendices contain brief descriptions of environmental noise descriptors and annotated bibliographies of selected Federal documents.
Guidelines for Developing a Training Program in Noise Survey Techniques
William Gately; Paul L. Michael; George W. Kamperman
July 1975
PDF
The report contains guidelines for the content, format, organization, and administration of a training program for noise survey technicians. It is intended to provide assistance to State and local governements in setting up a training program with the following objective: the training of technicians to assist in the enforcement of noise ordinances and investigation of noise complaints. The program is directed toward trainees with a minimum of a high school education and no previous experience in acoustics. The report outlines and explains material to be covered in a 4 1/2 day training program.
Guidelines for Noise Impact Analysis
April 1982
PDF
The purpose of the guidelines proposed in this report os to provide decision-makers, in both public and private sectors, with analytic procedures which can be uniformly used to express and quantify impacts from noise, so that such impacts can be readily understood and fully considered within the comparative evaluations which constitute noise environment decisions. The procedures contained within the guidelines are applicable to the preparation of environemental noise assessments and environmental impact description of noise environment changes would be useful. The procedures allow a user to arrive at an objective, and for most situations, quantitative definition of noise impact. In many situations, the procedures will allow the calculation of a single number descriptor which expresses the total noise impact of a proposed project on the population exposer. The quantification methods recommended for impact assessment in these guidelines are further developments of the Fractional Impact Methodology used for assessing the health and welfare effects of a noise environment. Three principal types of noise and vibration environemtns are considered: general audible noise; special noises; and vibrations. There is a separate chapter for each of these principal types of environment.
Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Impact Statements of Noise
January 1977
PDF
Guidelines are performed for the uniform description and assessment of the various noise environments potentially requiring an Environmental Impact Statement for Noise. In addition to general, audible noise environments, the report covers separately high-energy inpulse noise, special noises such as ultrasound and infrasound, and the environmental impact of structure-borne vibration. Whenever feasible3 and practical, a a single-number noise impact characterization is recommended, based on the new concept of level-weighted population: i.e., the summation over the total population of the product of each residential person times a weighting factor that varies with the yearly day-night average sound level outside the residence of that person. A sound-level weighting function for general impact and environmental degradation analysis is proposed, based in the average annoyance response observed in community response studies; this weighting function is supplemented by an additional weighting funcion at higher noise environments to quantify the potential of noise-induced hearing loss and general health effects. The evaluation of the environmental impact of vibration is derived from existing or proposed ISO standards. The report explains and justifies the procedures selected and gives examples of their application.
Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Impact Statements on Noise
Henning E. von Gierke
June 1977
PDF
Guidelines are proposed for the uniform description and assessment of the various noise environments potentially requiring an Environmental Impact Statement for Noise. In addition to general, audible noise environments, the report covers separately high-energy impulse noise, special noises such as ultrasound and infrasound, and the environmental impact of structure-borne vibration. Whenever feasible and practical, a single-number noise impact characterization is recommended, based on the new concept of level-weighted population; i.e., the summation over the total population of the product of each residential person times a weighting factor that varies with yearly day night average sound level outside the residence of that person. A sound-level weighting function for general impact and environmental degradation analysis is proposed, based on the average annoyance response observed in community response studies; this weighting function is supplemented by an additional weighting function at higher noise environments to quantify the potential of noise-induced hearing loss and general health effects. The evaluation of the environmental impact of vibration is derived from existing or proposed ISO standards. The report explains and justifies the procedures selected and gives examples of their application.
Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Impact Statements on Noise - Chapters VII & VIII
PDF
Guidelines for Review of Environmental Impact Statements - Airport Projects
Kenneth E. Nelson; Sarah J. LaBelle
January 1975
PDF
The principal objective of this report is to supply the regional offices of the Environmental Protection Agency with guidelines for the review of airport project environmental impact statements. The guidelines contain both procedural and technical guidance for the comprehensive review of air, noise, water and wastewater, solid waste, land use, hazardous materials, and ecological impacts. The report includes discussion of the evaluation of environmental impact statements and the airport development process. A classification system was developed to rank projects according to their impacts. The major thrust of the report deals with assessment techniques for airport-generated pollutants. This includes a discussion of standards and procedural guidelines, the identification of sources, an evaluation of state-of-the-art assessment techniques, and description of abatement strategies. Finally, the assessment for the overall airport project used by the EPA, along with an explanation of viable alternatives to an airport project, is presented.
Guidelines for State and Local Governments on the Filing and Processing of Applicants for Preemption Waiver Determinations under Section 17 (c)(2) of the Noise Control Act of 1972
PDF
These guidelines are to act as a supplement to the provisions of Subpart D of 40 CFR 201, which contain the detailed delineation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's view of the preemptive effect of the Interstate Railroad Noise Emission Regulation and establish the basis upon which determinations for waivers of preemption with respect to that regulation will be made by the Agency. The guidelines set out below contain the procedures to be followed by State and local governments in filing, and by the EPA in processing applications for waiver of preemption. Included are procedural requirements as to where applications must be filed and what information must be included in supporting statements necessary for the Administrator of the EPA to make a determination, as well as procedures delineating the manner in which the decision process will be conducted for all apllications submitted to the Agency. It is important that State and local governments follow the requirements of and utilize the guidance provided by both these guidelines and the procedures of Subpart D of 40 CFR 201 in addressing any questions or issues associated with the preemptive aspects of the EPA's Interstate Railroad Noise Emission Regulation.
Guidelines for the Preparation of Procedures for the Measurement of Sound Source Emission
December 1978
PDF
This report contains guidelines for the preparation of procedures (standards, test codes, recommended practices, etc.) for measurement of source sound emission. These guidelines are intended to provide the framework for the thought processes to be followed in developing measurement procedures. They do not contain a catalogue of existing procedures nor do they contain a collection of specific requirements. Rather, they outline the general questions and issues which need to be considered by the working group (writing group, subcommittee, etc.) during the development of a measurement procedure.