EPA Document Collection

About the EPA document collection held by the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse.

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Title Index

Laboratory Testing of Predictive Land Use Models: Some Comparisons
Stephen H. Putman
October 1976
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The purpose of the research described here was to compare and evaluate operational land use forecasting models, and to suggest a procedure by which such comparisons and evaluations may be done for such models in the future. A thorough review of available operational models suggested two major types of models to be tested: the EMPIRIC, and the LOWRY derivative models. The method of testing involved two parts. First, the parameters of each model were estimated for a common data base. Second, each model was used to make forecasts of the impact of different "policy" inputs, and the responses of each model to these inputs were compared. The results of the parameter estimating suggest that either model can be made to fit a base period data-set rather well. The lack of any explicit macro-behavioral structure to the EMPIRIC model makes interpretation of its parameters somewhat difficult. DRAM, the LOWRY derivative model which was tested, has a rather clear macro-behavioral structure and wielded parameters consistent with the theory underlying that structure. With regard to the policy tests, EMPIRIC was found to be very insensitive to changes in inputs. DRAM, by contrast, was properly sensitive to all the various policies tested. All in all, the testing of different models on a common data-set was a good method for comparison and evaluation.

Land Use Compatability Study: Aircraft Noise and Land Use
Richard L. Harris; Norman W. Arnold; George J. Shepherd
June 1984
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Part 150 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR Part 150), Airport Noise Compatability Planning, includes in Part B of Appendix A a table titled "Land Use Compatability with Yearly Day-Night Average Sound Levels". The table presents various land uses that are compatible and incompatible with specific ranges of sound levels (in decibels). The objective of this study was to investigate, identify and document original source material for the table appearing in FAR Part 150 and to prepare a report comparing and analyzing the results obtained from these sources considered in the development of the table. To the extent that sources could be identified, they have been reviewed and the detailed results presented in a chronological narrative. Noise level guidelines for various land uses shown in the FAR Part 150 table were found to be reasonable and supportable based on this review of historical rating and measurement procedures used to assess the compatibility between land use, the noise environment, and human activity. The table is consistent with previous land use compatibility studies and no changes in the table are recommended.

Larson-Davis GSA Net Price List Assessment
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Larson-Davis Laboratories Introduces: The New 820 - Precision Integrating Sound Level Meter Environmental Noise Analyzer/Data Logger
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The Larson-Davis Outdoor Noise Monitoring System
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Lawn Mowers: Noise and Cost of Abatement
M.J. Rudd; E.K. Bender
June 1974
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This document contains information useful for the development of noise emission standards for lawn mowers. Topics covered include information on lawn mower construction, noise characteristics of models currently on the market, and noise reduction techniques and costs necessary to achieve specified noise levels.

Laws and Regulatory Schemes for Noise Abatement
December 1971
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Laws and Regulatory Schemes for Noise Abatement
December 1971
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I - Among the more significant findings and conclusions of this Report are the following: - The existing Environmental Noise Regulatory Structure is fragmented in organization and ad hoc in operation. Abatement functions are distributed among Federal, State, and local governmental levels but are largely uncoordinated. - The environmental noise problem context is composed of a wide variety of discrete noise sources and noise environments. Numerous partial efforts have been made to regulate "excessive" or "unnecessary" noise through regulatory schemes directed to abatement at the source, reduction of the effects of noise, and to remedies (by private action) to abate the source or to reduce the effects. - Regulation by the Federal government has been slight. Even with respect to aircraft noise the pace of abatement at the source has been gradual with no short term prospects for substantial relief. - Regulation by the states has for the most part been limited to selected noise sources although some states are now in process of enacting comprehensive noise abatement statutes. - Most noise abatement regulation has taken place at the local level by means of general noise ordinances or ordinances directed to specific noise sources or by the creation of "quiet zones". - Both State and local governmental levels are handicapped in police power regulation of some of the more critical noise sources as a result of preemptive Federal legislation (aircraft noise) or by the threat of impinging upon a strong national interest in maintaining the free flow of interstate commerce. - Very little attention has been given to construction equipment or site noise, or to domestic noise sources. - Enforcement of noise abatement State statutes and municipal noise ordinances has been notoriously spasmodic and uniformly weak; in general, noise control enforcement has been placed on already overburdened State highway patrols or local police officers. - While both the Federal government and State governments have been slow to intervene in the noise regulatory area, certain trends point to a substantially increased level of effort: Federal level: Noise abatement (occupational) of all businesses operating in interstate commerce, Construction site noise abatement under the Construction Safety Act, Highway design to reduce noise effects. State level: Enactment of comprehensive environmental quality statutes, including environmental noise abatement codes, Enactment of specific legislation designed to control the total noise emissions of vehicles and to regulate the noise level operations of vehicles. Local level: Initial efforts by a few cities to enact comprehensive Environmental Noise Codes covering all or most of the serious noise sources and noise environments subject to municipal regulation, Growing sophistication at all governmental levels in noise abatement and control techniques, including the establishment of decibel levels to replace or supplement verbal-subjective standards, Increasing disposition to broaden coverage of noise sources and noise environments by regulatory schemes and to disseminate through labelling or by other means useful information on noise dangers and abatement techniques to the general public. II - Among the more significant continuing problems in the regulation of environmental noise identified by the Report are the following: - Lack of officials and organized public interest in aggressive noise abatement programs. - Conflict of the social interest in noise abatement with other social values such as safety or free expression which are accorded higher priority in the scheme of social interests. - Intensification of the stress between Federal efforts and State/local noise abatement efforts, especially in those regulatory contexts where Federal preemptive legislation is involved. - Continuing difficulty by State or local authorities to regulate noise to the satisfaction of local conditions and needs where such regulation requires control over the noise source or effects of vehicles, equipment, and appliances regularly moving in or operating in interstate commerce. - Continuing difficulty, due to the multiplicity of noise sources and noise environments, of determining what noise sources or effects are to be controlled by what level of government with respect to the setting of standards or to operating procedures, having appropriate regard for the need of uniformity of regulation in some areas and the need for diversity of regulation to suit unique local conditions in others.

League of Minnesota Cities Response to ONAC Docket 81-02 (Medium and Heavy Trucks) ANR-490
April 1981
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Lecture Notes on Noise and Manufacturing Plants
Laymon N. Miller
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Legal and Institutional Analysis of Aircraft and Airport Noise and Apportionment of Authority Between Federal, State, and Local Governments
July 1973
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Letter about Meeting with International Harvester on Regulatory Relief
Michael P. Walsh
March 1981
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Letter from Chrysler Corporation to the EPA
February 1981
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Letterfrom the New York State Executive Chamber, Acknowledging a One Year Deferral of Proposed Noise Emission Standards for Medium and Heavy Trucks
February 1981
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Listing of EPA Noise Regulations
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Longitudinal Study of Human Hearing: Its Relationship to Noise and Other Factors - II. Results From the First Three Years
Alexander F. Roche; John H. Hines; Roger M. Siervogel; Daniel L. Johnson
November 1979
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Analyses have been made of serial data from children aged 6 to 18 years; these data relate to auditory thresholds and noise exposure obtained from questionanaires and dosimetry records. For these children, there are serial data for body size, maturity, otological histories and inspections, and medical histories. The mean thresholds tend to be lower than audiometric zero (ANSI-1969) except at the higher frequencies. Girls tend to have lower thresholds than boys at all ages. The thresholds tend to decrease with age and to be higher whent here are abnormal otological findings. The changes in thresholds (increments) for 6-month periods are normally distributed with means near zero except at the higher frequencies where the changes are in the direction of poorer hearing. This effect is more marked in the older children. The data from the questionnaires indicate total noise exposure increases with age, particularly in boys. However, these estimates of daily noise exposure are not closely correlated with dosimetry data. Auditory thresholds are higher for those exposed to particular sorts of noise with the strongest trends being for those exposed to loud T.V. or power tools. Rapid maturation and stature are associated with lower thresholds. Also, systolic blood pressure is significantly correlated with thresholds but this association is positive in boys and negative in girls.

Long-Run Expected Pricing Policy Model - Model Description and User Guidelines
June 1981
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This section describes the long-run Expected Pricing Model used in the analysis of the Pavement Breaker/Rock Drill Source Regulation Background Document. First, there is a detailed explanation of the purpose of the model. Next, the derivation of the equations used in the model are presented with all variables identified. A subsequent section lists data inputs needed to run the model. Finally, a sample output of the model is shown.

Los Angeles International Airport - 1978 Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) 30/40
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Los Angeles Water and Power Makes $1 Million+ Purchase of Quieter Tractors
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Loudness
Bertram Scharf
September 1973
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