About the EPA document collection held by the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse.
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Most useful EPA documents
Paccar, Inc. Letter to EPA Regarding Costs
June 1981
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Paccar Inc. Response to ONAC Docket 81-02 (Medium and Heavy Trucks) ANR-490
April 1981
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Passenger Noise Environments of Enclosed Transportation Systems
June 1975
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To determine the extent to which noise environments of enclosed transportation systems are deleterious to passenger health, an analysis was made of both information collected by past transportation studies and of new data collected for this project. The analysis consisted of identifying trends among various transportation modes, noting areas of data deficiency, calculating the effect of noise exposure on health under various assumptions of travel duration and workplace noise exposure levels, and assessing measurement methodologies.
Pennsylvania State University Respone to ONAC Docket 81-02 (Medium and Heavy Trucks) ANR-490
June 1981
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The Performance of the NPL Ultrasound Beam Calibrator: Part 1 - Physiotherapy Transducers
R.C. Preston; C.E. Mason
September 1986
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The performance of the NPL Ultrasound Beam Calibrator (BECA2) has been assessed for measurements of the acoustic output of physiotherapy transducers. Reflection from the polyvinylidene flouride membrane hydrophone used to determine the sound field and lack of cylindrical symmetry of the beam emitted by physiotherapy transducers are considered, and guidelines given for minimising their effect on the measurements. Sources of systematic and random uncertainty are considered and typical values for these quantities are given.
Philadelphia International Airport - 1978 Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) 30/40
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Plan for the Development of Voluntary Standards on Environmental Sound In Response to Federal Agencies' Needs
December 1978
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Population Distribution of the United States as a Function of Outdoor Noise Level - Volume 2
June 1974
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This appendix provides a description of each of the 100 measurement sites utilized during this project. The computer output listings for each of the sites are also presented. Data are presented by city, in alphabetical order. Figures B-1 through B-14 show maps of the fourteen cities in which noise measurements were obtained. On each map the specific measurement locations are indicated. Figures B-15 through B-114 provide data for each of the sites. The first page of each figure, labeled Figure B-xx(a) provides a physical description of the site. A photo and vicinity map are shown, and the address, population density, and measured Ldn value are given. Also listed are various parameters of the traffic flow in the general vicinity of the site. The street on which the site is located, and the street in the vicinity of the site, are both classified into one of four categories: freeway, arterial, collector, and local. Also indicated are the types of vehicles that traverse these streets. Noise sources other than traffic that affect the noise environment at the site are also listed. The second page of the figure, labeled Figure B-xx(b), lists various statistics and noise levels for each hour of the day. Tabulated are the maximum and minimum values occurring during the hour, the noise pollution level (NPL), the standard deviation (SIG) of the distribution of levels occurring during the hour, the L-equivalent level (LEQ), and the traffic noise index (TNI). Various percentile levels ranging from L1 to L99 are also listed. Similar noise measures are tabulated for the daytime (0700-2200 hrs.) and nighttime (2200-0700 hrs.) periods on the final page, labeled Figure B-xx(c). Plotted at the top of this page is the distribution of levels for the daytime and nighttime periods. Also, the weighted 24-hour L-equivalent value, with weighting factors of 0, 8, 10, and 12 decibels for the nighttime period, are listed. Note that the weighted L-equivalent value for a weighting factor of 10 decibels is the day/night sound level (Ldn).
Portable Air Compressor Noise Control Technology and Cost Information
September 1974
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Portable Air Compressor Noise Emission Standards
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Potential Effectiveness of Barriers Toward Reducing Highway Noise Exposure on a National Scale
Kenneth J. Plotkin; Vijay K. Kohii
July 1978
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Calculations have been performed to assess the potential effectiveness of barriers toward reducing noise exposure from the federal-aid highway system. Noise exposure, in terms of the numbers of people exposed to Ldn greater than 60, 65, 70, and 75 dB, from the primary federal-aid system was computed to present traffic flow and projected traffic through the year 2000. Reductions in noise exposure were computed for several scenarios of constructing barriers along urban interstate highways. It was found that significant reduction of noise exposure would require barriers along most of the urban interstate system. The benefit (in terms of reduction of exposed population) per mile of barrier construction was found to be greatest at high noise levels (Ldn greater than or equal to 75 dB). It was concluded that barriers would not provide relief in extremely noisy local applications.
Potential Noise Reduction From - And The Cost Of - State and Local In-Use Motor Vehicle Exhaust Noise Enforcement Programs
September 1981
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The results of the study and analyses performed indicate that on-the-street enforcement can reduce ambient traffic noise and mitigate the number of potential instrusive events (which lead to complaints) due to vehicles with faulty exhaust systems. Using the State of FLorida enforcement statistics, in the 1976 to 1980 time frame, it is estimated that ambient traffic noise levels have been reduced by 1.7 dB overall and the potential daily intrusive events reduced by over 4,000 occurrences per day for all vehicle types. Of several ways to perform on-the-street enforcement of vehicles with faulty exhausts, the use of the human ear to detect - and human eyesight to confrim, appears to be the most cost effective method. Greater effectiveness of the ear as a detector over the meter has been demonstrated. The cost of enforcement has been shown to vary with community size, ranging from about $.03 per person for communities of 2 million and greater persons, to about $.50 per person for communities of 5 to 25 thousand people. Thus, as a first approximation, a community of 25,000 people could provide on-the-street motor vehicle enforcement for $12,500, whereas a city of 7,000,000 could provide on-the-street enforcement for $200,000. In the case of Florida, a 4,000 per day reduction in potential intrusive events has been achieved with an annual noise enforcement budget of around $200,000.
Pow! - Noise and Hearing Loss
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The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Noise and Hearing Loss brought together biomedical and behavioral scientists, health care providers, and the public to address the characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss, acoustic parameters of hazardous noise exposure, individual and age-specific susceptibility, and prevention strategies. Following a day and a half of presentations by experts and discussion by the audience, a consensus panel weighed the evidence and prepared a consensus statement. Among their findings, the panel concluded that sounds of sufficient intensity and duration will damage the ear and result in temporary or permanent hearing loss at any age. Sound levels of less than 75 dB(A) are unlikely to cause permanent hearing loss, while sound levels above 85 dB(A) with exposures of 8 hours per day will produce permanent hearing loss after many years. Current scientific knowledge is inadequate to predict that any particular individual will be safe when exposed to a hazardous noise. Strategies to prevent damage from sound exposure should include the use of individual hearing protection devices, education programs beginning with school-age children, consumer guidance, increased product noise labeling, and hearing conservation programs for occupational settings. The full text of the consensus panel's statement follows.
Pow! - Noise and Hearing Loss - NIH Consensus Development Conference
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The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Noise and Hearing Loss brought together biomedical and behavioral scientists, health care providers, and the public to address the characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss, acoustic parameters of hazardous noise exposure, individual and age-specific susceptibility, and prevention strategies. Following a day and a half of presentations by experts and discussion by the audience, a consensus panel weighed the evidence and prepared a consensus statement. Among their findings, the panel concluded that sounds of sufficient intensity and duration will damage the ear and result in temporary or permanent hearing loss at any age. Sound levels of less than 75 dB(A) are unlikely to cause permanent hearing loss, while sound levels above 85 dB(A) with exposure of 8 hours per day will produce permanent hearing loss after many years. Current scientific knowledge is inadequate to predict that any particular individual will be safe when exposed to a hazardous noise. Strategies to prevent damage from sound exposure should include the use of individual hearing protection devices, education programs beginning with school-age children, consumer guidance, increased product noise labeling, and hearing conservation programs for occupational settings.
A Practical Application of Community Noise Analyses; --Case Study of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
R.J. Goff; M.P. Valoski; R.E. D'Amato
February 1977
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This report is designed to document the technical results of a 2-1/2 year Noise Control Program in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. While the program consisted of many facets--public education, complaint analysis, community noise survey, publicity, legislation drafting, and public hearings--only the survey and legislation are detailed. First, metrics are selected for describing a community noise environment. Specific parameters influencing community noise are evaluated and used to develop a survey methodology. Survey data are presented and analyzed according to such parameters as time of day, noise source, land use, and municipality. Finally, the results are incorporated into community noise legislation.
Prediction of NIPTS Due to Continuous Noise Exposure
Daniel L. Johnson
July 1973
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In support of the main document, "A Basis for Limiting Noise Exposure for Hearing Conservation," this report compares the relationship of noise exposure to Noise Induced Permanent Threshold Shift (NIPTS) as predicted by the currently available works of Passchier-Vermeer, Robinson, Baughn and Kryter, and the yet unpublished work of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. The works of Passchier-Vermeer, Robinson, and Baughn are selected since these are the only works that completely predict the relationship between NIPTS and noise exposure for various audiometric frequencies, sound pressure levels and population percentiles. The predictions of these three methodologies are averaged in order to provide one single relationship between continuous noise exposure and NIPTS. This relationship is presented in various ways so that the effect of noise exposure on hearing can be viewed in more than one way. Discussion concerning the type of frequency weighting, the equal energy rule, and long duration exposures is also provided.
Preliminary Cost and Technology Information on Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks
June 1974
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This document contains preliminary cost and technology information that is being used to develop noise regulations for newly manufactured medium and heavy duty trucks. The information presented here does not represent an EPA position nor does it represent all the technical information that will be used to develop the regulation. Medium and heavy duty trucks have been identified as a major source of noise, and public participation in the regulatory process is desired by EPA. Accordingly, comments on all aspects of medium and heavy duty truck regulations are welcome.
Preliminary Estimates of the Health and Welfare Benefits of State and Local Surface Transportation Noise Control Programs
Michael A. Staiano; Robert A. Samis
November 1979
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The actual reduction in traffic noise exposure level for a given control measure can be conceptually considered a function of: the potential level reduction of the control, its applicability, the extent of its enforcement, and the effectiveness of its enforcement. A survey of the available literature yielded a reasonable amount of information regarding the potential level reductions of control measures, a limited amount of information regarding the observed exposure level reductions of control measures, and virtually no information regarding the applicability of controls, the extent of enforcement, or the effectiveness of enforcement. EPA's National Roadway Traffic Noise Exposure Model (NRTNEM) was used as a means of estimating the benefits of various state and local surface transportation noise control measures for the year 1985. Somewhat coarse simulations of the various controls gave the following results: -Various low speed vehicle noise control measures, applied nationwide, roughly halved of the surface transportation noise impact. -Upper estimates of high speed vehicle noise control measures (snow tire regulations and roadway surface treatment) yielded roughly a 2/5 reduction in impact. -The exclusion of noisy vehicles from residential areas, applied to cities with greater than 50,000 people population, has a potential for the reduction of impact by about 1/4. -Motorcycle enforcement resulting in the partial to total elimination of modified motorcycles has the potential for reducing impact between 1/5 to 1/4. -Reducing local speed limits, in cities of greater than 50,000 people population, was estimated to yield a maximum impact reduction of 1/5. -More stringent speed limit enforcement for highways, on a nationwide basis was estimated to have a maximum benefit of about 1/5 impact reduction. Recommendations for future work include refining NRTNEM itself to more realistically describe vehicle behavior at intersections, refining the simulations themselves to yield more accurate estimates (e.g., considering snow tire controls only for "snow states" and their exclusion only for summer months), and the simulation of simultaneous multiple complementary controls. Finally, any estimates must be considered in the light of reasonable expectations for the applicability, effectiveness and the extent of enforcement of control measures. In the absence of a data base for these parameters, sensitivity tests should be conducted.
Preparing For A Quieter Tomorrow
Donna McCord Dickman
May 1980
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Preparing for a Quieter Tomorrow is an environmental noise module developed as an instructional guide for teachers of students in grades 7-12. The module provides lecture summaries, projects, field trips, experiments, recommended films, additional readings and questions designed to stimulate student interest and involvement. The goal of Preparing for a Quieter Tomorrow is to provide to the teachers the information necessary to create an awareness of noise as an environmental pollutant, explain the adverse effect of noise, identify major noise sources, describe noise control techniques and stimulate students involvement in working for a quieter environment in the community.
A Primary Teaching Pack - Noise - Based on Darlington, England's Quiet Town Experiment
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This Teaching Pack has been prepared for Primary Schools under the auspices of the Darlington Quiet Town Experiment, a joint venture between Darlington Borough Council and the Department of the Environment. The Management Committee established a School's Working Group which, with the help and advice of teachers, has produced this set of Work Cards, Teacher's Notes, Pamphlets and References which form the basis for Centres of Interest using the theme of 'Noise'. It is hoped that the materials will form a useful aid for Teachers wishing to spark off oral and written language, discovery of information through reading, investigation, observation, recording, surveying and collecting as well as creative, artistic, imaginative, dramatic, mathematic and scientific activities covering the breadth of the curriculum.
A Primary Teaching Pack - Noise - Based on the Darlington, England Quiet Town Experiment
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, has purchased this teaching package and its reproduction rights for your use. The package is one output of a Quiet Town Experiment conducted in Darlington, England. Throughout the book you will find words and phrases which are typically British in use and which may sound strange to American schoolchildren. Among the best examples of these are: lorry (truck), mecano set (erector set), wendy house (doll house), aerodome (airport). In addition, you will notice references to British organizations and activities, as well as the expected spelling differences between British and American English. The editors elected not to make substantial semantic changes, partly to insure that the integrity of the original package is preserved and partly because exposure to these cultural differences is instructional in itself. Please be alert to these differences and be prepared to explain unfamiliar words, phrases, and references to your students. On the whole, this package is an excellent resource for teachers of elementary grades. It can be used in whole or in part and adapted in any way you deem appropriate. Projects are outlined for students of every age and grade level.
Procedures for Estimating Sound Power from Measurements of Sound Pressure
Curtis I. Holmer
January 1975
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This report describes investigations of the accuracy and precision of various measurement methodologies for determining the estimated sound power output of "large" machines in the free field over a reflecting plane. One purpose of this investigation is to place empirical error bounds on many of the free field measurement procedures currently proposed or in use; and in particular, compare the results of "near-field" and "far-field" measurements. The sources used for the investigation included 17 portable air compressors of various types (powered by internal combustion engines), a "reference" sound source, and a loudspeaker driven by a pure tone source. The data recorded include sound pressure level (A-weighted, linear, and 1/3-octave band) on an 84 point hemispherical array of seven metre radius, and "near-field" measurements, sampled every square metre, on a rectangular surface one metre from the machine surface. These data were reduced to provide information on the deviation of "near-field" sound power determinations from "far-field" power level (using subsets of the data as appropriate to various methodologies). The measured data for seventeen sources suggests that the value of a sound power estimate based on "near-field" sound pressure level measurements may be an upper bound to the sound power level estimated from far field measurements, subject to the limitations of sampling error. Estimates of total achievable measurement error of A-weighted sound power level of near field determinationsrelative to far field determinations are made for several measurement methodologies, based on the experimental data.
Procedures for Estimating Sound Power from Measurements of Sound Pressure - An Experimental Investigation with Application to Noise From Portable Air Compressors
Curtis I. Holmer
January 1975
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This report describes investigations of the accuracy and precision of various measurement methodologies for determining the estimated sound power output of "large" machines in the free field over a reflecting plane. One purpose of this investigation is to place empirical error bounds on many of the free field measurement procedures currently proposed or in use; and in particular, compare the results of "near-field" and "far-field" measurements. The sources used for the investigation included 17 portable air compressors of various types (powered by internal combustion engines), a "reference" sound source, and a loudspeaker driven by a pure tone source. The data recorded include sound pressure level (A-weighted, linear, and 1/3-octave band) on an 84 point hemispherical array of seven metre radius, and "near-field" measurements, sampled every square metre, on a rectangular surface one metre from the machine surface. These data were reduced to provide information on the deviation of "near field" sound power determinations from "far-field" power level (using subsets of the data as appropriate to various methodologies). The measured data for seventeen sources suggests that the value of a sound power estimate based on "near-field" sound pressure level measurements may be an upper bound to the sound power level estimated from far field measurements, subject to the limitations of sampling error. Estimates of total achievable measurement error of A-weighted sound power level of near field determinations relative to far field determinations are made for several measurement methodologies, based on the experimental data.
Procedures to Estimate Airport Residential Relocation Costs
Richard Chais; Joseph Felder
April 1981
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The cost of relocating private residences exposed to excessive aviation noise levels at the nation's airports is a major factor in determining the viability of a comprehensive airport relocation and soundproofing program. The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 is reviewed to determine applicability to a relocation program and to define airport-specific relocation cases and costs. Procedures are provided for: (1) developing a well-defined set of cases for which relocation costs may be estimated; (2) determining the costs in current dollars for each expense item in each relocation case; and (3) determining the frequency of occurrence for each case as applied to specific airports. Total costs for all cases for a hypothetical airport relocation effort are provided. Supporting data and equations used are presented.
Proceedings of the Ad Hoc International Meeting of Regulatory Officials on Alignment of Noise Test Procedures
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These Proceedings were prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who served as Secretariat and host for the first Ad Hoc International Meeting of Regulatory Officials on Alignment of Noise Test Procedures held in Washington, D.C., December 9-12, 1980. The Commission of European Communities has offered to serve as the Secretariat for a subsequent Ad Hoc Meting to held in 1982.
Proceedings of the International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem
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In 1968, a Conference on Noise as a Public Health Hazard was organized by the American Speech and Hearing Association. At this conference, an attempt was made to bring together a group of speakers who could present summaries of the current state of knowledge ell all aspects of the "noise problem", ranging all tile way from fairly technical treatises to completely non-technical statements of personal opinion. Such a wide-ranging representation was judged to be necessary for the purpose of that conference, which was to present a broad overview of what "noise pollution" was all about, to government personnel and other intelligent laymen who saw that it was probably going to become a hot issue, and give at least a few examples of the scientific evidence underlying arguments about just what effects noise does have. At this time it was realized that as the environmentalist movement gathered momentum, a rapid development of public concern could be expected, and so a permanent Committee of ASHA was established, one of whose charges was to plan another conference when it was judged appropriate. The burgeoning of interest in noise in the intervening 5 years has clearly met, if not surpassed, our expectations at that time. In the developed areas of the world, millions of dollars or their equivalent are being spent on surveys of noise levels and exposures, and increasingly stringent noise regulations are being imposed by all levels of government. And, although the measurement of the effects of noise is nowhere near as simple as the measurement of the noises themselves, many laboratories, mostly with federal support, are engaged in full-time research on the hearing losses, sleep disturbance, speech interference, alteration of physiological state, and annoyance caused by noise. Accordingly, in 1971 we began looking for a sponsor for a second conference-one who would agree, we hoped, to fund attendance by a substantial number of researchers from abroad, so that certain areas of knowledge less intensively studied in the USA could be included in the subject matter. Fortunately, the head of the newly-created Office of Noise Abatement end Control (ONAC) of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Alvin F. Meyer, had need of just such a conference, as a source material for a document summarizing all known criteria that might be used to establish national standards for noise control-that is, provided that the Congress passed the bill, then being duly debated and amended, that would make such a document necessary. Furthermore, certain PL 480 funds (money that must be spent in other countries) were available, which meant that the degree of participation by foreign scientists might be even greater than we had hoped. Not only that, but the particular PL 480 funds in this case were in Jugoslavia, the country that includes one of the garden spots of the world, Dubrovnik. On the assumption that our Congress would pass some form of the bill in question (which it did on October 27, 1972), we forged ahead with plans for our meeting, now upgraded to an International Congress. With the help of Dr. Grujica Zarkovic, the energetic President of tile Jugoslavian Medical Association, and Dr. Mario Levi of the University of Sarajevo, a planning meeting was held to which we invited a representative from most of the countries in which noise research was being done (I say "most" because we could not quite afford to pay for attendees from Japan, Australia, and South Africa because of the distance involved, even though considerable research is being done there). At this meeting the formal agenda was decided on, and the list of invited participants prepared. It was agreed that we would try to limit the Congress content strictly to the effects of noise on health, thereby excluding discussions of engineering aspects of noise reduction and control, descriptions of methods for legal control, and presentation of viewpoints of special-interest groups. There was some debate about how much time to allot to public opinion surveys of annoyance, some of as contending that annoyance, as measured in that manner, is not a health hazard at all in the ordinary sense of the term. However, proponents of the WHO definition of "health", in which any deviation from "optimum well-being" is regarded as undesirable, carried the field, and the final day of the Congress was therefore given over to the sociologists. Despite a series of crises precipitated by governmental red tape originating both in Washington and Belgrade, the Congress was held on May 13-18, 1973 at the Libertas Hotel in Dubrovnik. We had two major disappointments: one was the failure of our Russian invitees to appear due to the fact that our official invitations had not been sent early enough. The other was that the Xerox machine at the Libertas was out of commission. However, the general success of the Congress can be gauged by the fact that the audience was as large on the final afternoon as at any other time. A side benefit of the Congress (or so we hope) was the formation of an international organization consisting of 5 "teams" who will try to accumulate and coordinate knowledge about the effects of noise on (1) temporary and permanent bearing loss; (2) extra auditory function; (3) speech; (4) sleep; and (5) community reaction. The parent group, or "basic" team, will attempt to consolidate this knowledge for use by governmental agencies, and will make plans for the next Congress. Although the organization is now alive, its name is still in question. At the moment it is still the "'International Scientific Noise Teams", but the resulting acronym has a negative connotation that pleases few of us. Other names are being considered. I regret that the length of the invited papers made it impracticable to publish at this time any of the short contributed papers that were presented at the Congress, many of which were excellent, or the often-lively discussions that followed each session. It is hoped that these can be included if another printing of the Proceedings is to be made. An enterprise of this scope cannot be a success without hard work on the part of many people. Without doubt the most effort of all wax put forth by Dr. Levi, who managed all the mechanical details of the Congress, with the help of his and Dr. Zarkovic's staff, particularly, Felih Vesna. Official thanks are extended to our sponsoring organizations: The Jugoslavian Medical Association, The American Speech and Hearing Association, the World Health Organization, and of course most of all the Office of Noise Abatement and Control.
Proceedings Surface Transportation Exhaust System Noise Symposium
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Office of Noise Abatement and Control (EPA/ONAC) has initiated studies pursuant to requirements established under Section 8 of the Noise Control Act of 1972 which may lead to Federal requirements for the labeling of surface transportation vehicles and mufflers with respect to noise. One study is designed to assess the methodologies available to measure and communicate the noise reduction characteristics of surface transportation vehicle exhaust systems. The information communicated may be actual sound levels or information relative to sound levels (i.e., verification that a vehicle with a particular aftermarket muffler installed will meet an applicable standard), or other information such as warranty claims, proper maintenance and operator instructions, etc. The information would be used by dealers, repair facilities, enforcement personnel and the general public.
Proceedings Surface Transportation Exhaust System Noise Symposium
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Product Noise Labeling Standards - Draft - Background Document for Product Noise Labeling General Provisions
April 1977
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This Background Document has been prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Proposed Product Noise Labeling Standards - General Provisions. The proposed regulation will be promulgated under the authority of sections 8, 10, 11, and 13 of the Noise Control Act of 1972.
Product Noise Labeling Standards - Draft - Background Document for the Labeling of Hearing Protectors
April 1977
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This Background Document has been prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Proposed Noise Labeling Standards for Hearing Protectors. The proposed regulation will be promulgated under the authority of sections 8, 10, 11, and 13 of the Noise COntrol Act of 1972.
Program Summary: Truck Noise Reduction
E.K. Bender; J.A. Kane
December 1981
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This report presents a comprehensive overview of an EPA-sponsored program to demonstrate the technology and costs of reducing the noise of four heavy-duty diesel trucks to 72 dBA. The program comprised engineering development and service evaluation phases. Noise control treatments were developed and installed on each truck to reduce its noise to the target level. The treatments included partial engine and transmission enclosures, exhaust silencing systems, and two-stage engine mounts for 2 of the 4 trucks. Three trucks entered fleet service where they accumulated 230,000 miles. The treatments proved to be durable and effective and did not have any adverse impact on the operation of any vehicle. Maintenance labor time increased by 1.4% because of the need to remove enclosure pabels while performing some maintenance procedures.
Project Report - Aircraft Noise Certification Rule for Supersonic Civil Aircraft
January 1975
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This report presents the supporting data for a proposed noise certification rule for supersonic civil aircraft. The background information presented shows that supersonic transports are inherently noisier than subsonic jet transports, although the two current supersonic airplanes (Concorde and TU-144) targeted for airline service in the near future are not significantly noisier under the flight path than the four-engine narrow-bodied commercial jet transports now in world-wide operation. However, the supersonic aircraft noise is characterizsed by greater low-frequency content than the subsonic aircraft, which propogates within the audible frequency range to greater distances, and which causes greater vibration response of structures subjected to it....
Project Report - Minimum Altitudes for Noise Abatement
November 1974
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This is the third draft of the Project Report on Minimum Altitudes for Noise Abatement. In response to the distribution of the second draft, dated 5 March 1974, a number of comments were received from interested persons and organizations. Several of the respondents raised substantive issues on such matters as health and welfare aspects, safety, economic reasonableness, need for the regulation, airport operators' authority over airplane operations, etc. A summary tabulation and detailed discussion of these comments and issues is presented in Appendix B. Serious consideration was given to the comments recieved, and, as a result, this third draft of the project report contains substantial revisions from Draft No. 2.
Project Report - Noise Standrards for Civil Subsonic Turbojet Engine-Powered Airplanes (Retrofit/Fleet Noise Level)
November 1974
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The FAA has been concerned with the noise levels of turbojet (axial flow jet and axial flow fan) powered airplanes that do not comply with FAR 36 since its rpomulgation in 1969. Two ANPRMs and one NPRM related to retrofitting operational airplanes to meet the noise levels specified in FAR 36 have been published for public comment. This report examines these three proposed actions in detail and recommends two regulations based upon their best features.
Propagation of Urban Construction Site Noise Along Street Corridors
Paul R. Donavan; J. Craig Wyvill
May 1978
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An existing urban sound propagation model has been applied to the specific problem of estimating the propagation of noise from urban construction sites along street corridors. Discussion summarizes the development of the propagation model and computer programs used to estimate sound propagation. The propagation model has been applied to five different construction site orientations resulting from two city block configurations. For each of the site orientations, the estimated values of attenuation versus distance in the streets surrounding individual sites are presented. Assuming the sound level at the construction site is known, the procedure to be used to determine sound levels in the surrounding streets is also provided.
Proposed Damage-Risk Criterion for Impulse Noise (Gunfire) (U)
W. Dixon Ward
July 1968
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In 1964, the Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics and Biomechanics of the National Research Council (CHABA) proposed a set of damage-risk criteria (DRC) for intermittent and continuous steady-state noise (Kryter, Ward, Miller and Eldredge, 1966). These criteria were based on the assumption that the permanent hearing losses (noise-induced permanent threshold shift, or NIPTS) eventually produced by many years of exposure to noise is approximately equal to the auditory fatigue (temporary threshold shift, or TTS) shown by a normal ear after a single day's exposure. A corollary of this assumption is that exposures which produce equal TTSs will produce equal NIPTSs. Therefore, in order to derive DRC for a wide range o exosures, it was merely necessary to select a value of TTS that should not be exceeded, and then determine from a study of the literature what noise exposures (expressed in terms of level, duration, and rate of interruption) produced precisely this TTS. The CHABA curves cited above were based on the assumption that the acceptable values of TTS(2) (TTS measured two minutes after cessation of exposure to the noise) were 10 dB at 1000 Hz and below, 15 dB at 2000 Hz, or 20 dB at 3000 Hz or above. Unfortunately, at that time little information on TTS produced by impulse noise existed, and even this was somewhat ambiguous. It was therefore not judged possible to estimate what pattern of impulse-noise exposure would produce, in the average person, the TTSs cited above. The only specific statement in the CHABA proposal regarding impulse noise was therefore the following: "While exact limits cannot be set, the Working Group did find evidence that repeated exposure to some types of acoustic impulses exceeding 140 dB in the earcanal of the listener can result in significant losses of hearing in some persons." In the intervening period, several studies at laboratories both here and in England have dealt with a fairly large range of exposure to gunfire under controlled conditions. These recently were summarized by Coles, Garinther, Hodge and Rice (1968), who then proceeded to recommend a DRC for impulse noise based on these data, a DRC designed to protect seventy-five percent of the men exposed. The following proposal is patterned closely after the Coles et al criteria; however, the permitted values here are slightly different from theirs, for reasons cited in Section III.
A Prospectus for Change in the Freight Railroad Industry
October 1978
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Protective Noise Levels - Condensed Version of EPA Levels Document
November 1978
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This publication is intended to complement the EPA's "Levels Document," the 1974 report examining levels of environmental noise necessary to protect public health and welfare. It interprets the contents of the Levels Document in less technical terms for people who wish to better understand the concepts presented there, and how the protective levels were identified. In that sense, this publication may serve as an introduction, or a supplement, to the Levels Document.
Protective Noise Levels - Condensed Version of EPA Levels Document
November 1978
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This publication is intended to complement the EPA's "Levels Document," the 1974 report examining levels of environmental noise necessary to protect public health and welfare. It interprets the contents of the Levels Document in less technical terms for people who wish to better understand the concepts presented there, and how the protective levels were identified. In that sense, this publication may serve as an introduction, or a supplement, to the Levels Document.
Prototype Newsletter Article
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Public Education and Information Manual for Noise
June 1980
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This manual is written to you - the person in the local government who has been given the responsibility of educating the public on noise effects and control. You may be new to noise control and/or new to the public education and information aspects of a program. This manual is designed to assist you with the implementation of a State and/or local noise control public education and information program.
Public Education and Information Manual for Noise
June 1980
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This manual is designed to assist with the implementation of a State and/or local noise control public education and information program. The purposes of the program are: a) To increase the awareness and knowledge levels of the general public with respect to the potentially harmful health effects of excessive noise and the effects of noise on their quality of life. b) To foster and promote locally and individually iniciated noise control actions. c) To motivate and generate the support of the general public, public/private agencies and orgaizations, groups and associations for the increased role of State and local governments in noise control and abatement. d) To encourage citizens to participate in the design and implementation of local noise control efforts.
Public Health and Welfare Criteria for Noise
July 1973
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The Noise Control Act of 1972 requires that the Administrator of The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and publish criteria with respect to noise. These criteria are to "reflect tile scientific knowledge most useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects of noise on the public health and welfare which may be expected from differing quantities and qualities of noise." This document meets that requirement. The terms "criteria and standards" are generally used interchangeably in the scientific communities concerned with noise and its control. However, in accordance with the intent of the U.S. Congress, criteria for environmental pollutants are to reflect an honest appraisal of available knowledge relating to health and welfare effects of pollutants, (in this case, noise). The criteria are descriptions of cause and effect relationships. Standards and regulations must take into account not only the health and welfare considerations described in the criteria, but also, as called for in the Noise Control Act of 1972, technology, and cost of control. This criteria document, therefore, serves as a basis for the establishment of tile recommended environmental noise level goals to be related to the "Effects Document" called for by Section 5(a)(2) of the Noise Control Act. That document, along with this criteria document, will become the basis for standards and regulations called for by Sections 6 and 7 of the Noise Control Act. Further, the terms "health and welfare," as used in the Noise Control Act include, as in other environmental legislation, the physical and mental well being of the human populations. The terms also include other indirect effects, such as annoyance, interference with communication, loss of value and utility of property, and effects on other living things. In preparing this Criteria Document, EPA has taken into account the vast amount of data in the general professional literature and the information contained in the "Report to the President and Congress on Noise" and its supporting documents prepared under Title IV, PL 91-604. To bring to bear the views and opinions of some of the world's leading experts on current knowledge regarding the effects of noise, EPA sponsored an International Conference on Public Health Aspects of Noise) in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia in May 1973. The proceedings of that conference have been applied to the preparation of this document. They are available, as stated in the Appendix to this document.
The Public Health Effects of Community Noise
Carol Scheibner Pennenga
May 1987
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Noise is "any loud, discordant or disagreeable sound" according to Webster's Dictionary (15, p.1). Another definition would be "unwanted sound". Nearly everyone is exposed to noise at some time in their lives, yet the control of noise is not a top priority for most environmental control programs. Community noise is a very widespread problem that can cause serious public health problems. It is well-established that noise can cause hearing loss in the workplace, but what are the other effects of noise outside the workplace? The World Health Organization defines health as a state of physical, mental, and social well being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This paper will examine the evidence for the effects of noise on the cardiovascular system, the performance of tasks, the unborn and children, social behavior and mental health, sleep, speech communication and hearing. The majority of the analysis will be spent on the cardiovascular effects because they are both the most controversial and the most potentially health threatening. It is hoped that this examination of the public health effects of community noise will serve as justification for increased priority and effort in noise control at the community, state and federal levels. In addition to noise control programs, this review should also be used to educate the public on the hazards of community noise exposure and how to protect themselves from it.
Public Hearings in Noise in Alberta - Reports and Recommendations
July 1982
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The report begins with the Council's recommendations. Opposite each recommendation is a brief outline of the reason for the recommendation. Following there are the Council's proposals for alleviation of traffic noise. The main part of the report, which follows immediately after the recommendations and proposals, contains much more detail. It should be read to understand the scope of the study, the development of the recommendations, the physics of sound, and the effect of noise on health of the individual. A glossary of selected technical terms appears in the Appendix. Points in the text of the report which were mentioned in briefs presented at the public hearings may be marked by footnote numbers. A list of briefs relating to each number is located at the end of each major section.
Public Law 92-574
October 1972
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Public Law 92-574
October 1972
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Public Law 95-609
November 1978
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Purchasing Guidelines for Medium and Heavy Trucks
May 1982
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These guidelines have been prepared to help state agencies, cities, and other governmental units purchase better medium and heavy trucks at competitive prices. Specifically, they suggest an approach for purchasing quieter, cleaner, more fuel efficient trucks with a lower total cost of ownership through the competitive bidding process.
Pure-Tone Threshold with TDH-49 Earphones
Harrell C. Sutherland; Donald C. Gasaway
June 1972
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Pure-tone thresholds of 24 normal-hearing listeners were determined at 11 audiometric frequencies on two TDH-49 and two TDH-39 earphones. Thresholds were recorded in decibels of sound pressure level, as measured with a National Bureau of Standards type 9-A earphone coupler. Threshold data were used to compute appropriate calibration values for audiometers with TDH-49 earphones, reference Appendix F of ANSI S3.6-1969.