EPA Document Collection

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 L M N O P Q R S T U W

Single page lists: authors subjects titles
Most useful EPA documents


Title Index

Combatting Noise in the 90's: A National Strategy for the United States
December 17, 1991
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Community Noise
December 31, 1971
PDF

This report addresses the part of the overall noise pollution problem which is associated with outdoor noise in the community. It attempts to provide a quantitative framework for understanding the nature of the outdoor noise environment and the reaction of people and community to its various aspects. The detailed information in this report provides backup to the summary material in the EPA report, as well as additional material relevant to meaningful measures of the noise environment for both future community noise monitoring and research purposes.

Community Noise Assessment Manual - Social Survey Workbook
PDF

The U.S. Environemtnal Protection Agency has developed a "Community Noise Assessment Manual" to provide local governments detailed guidelines in developing a comprehensive noise control program. This manual includes the following documents: Acoustical Survey, Social Survey Workbook, and Community Noise Strategy Guidelines. This specific document - the second referenced above - is a workbook which provides specific instruction for the design and administration of a social survey of community attitudes towards noise. The reader is referred to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Noise Abatement and Control for assistance in analysis and interpretation of this survey data and for infromation concerning the other referenced publications.

Community Noise Assessment Manual - Strategy Guidelines for Developing a Community Noise Control Program
August 1, 1979
PDF

In response to Congressional mandates, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, has funded the development of a series of manuals, prepared by Wyle Laboratories, to support a Quiet Cities Program. The first of these manuals, entitled "Community Noise Assessment Manual - Social Survey Workbook," provided detailed instructions for conducting an attitudinal survey on noise in a community. The second manual, entitled "Community Noise Assessment Manual - Acoustical Survey," provided detailed practical procedures for conducting a noise measurement survey in a community. This manual, the third in this series, is designed to assist local governments in making logical and cost-effective decisions on the allocation of funds to reduce the adverse effects of noise in their communities. To make maximum use of the material in this document, a community will have utilized the preceding manuals, or their equivalents, to obtain detailed data on the noise environment, and attitudes toward this environment, in their community. However, this manual also stands alone in that it contains many useful guidelines and procedures which a community can utilize to decide on the most efficient allocation of effort and funds directed toward preserving the natural resource - quiet - in their community.

Community Noise Assessment Manual - User's Manual for the Social Survey Computer System
July 1, 1981
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The Attitudinal Survay Data Analysis System (ASDAS) is a system of computer programs. It is designed to analyze the raw numbers generated by a sociological survey (the Community Noise Assessment Social Survey) and produce from them a series of concise, meaningful reports. The system is administered by the State and Local Programs Division of the EPA's Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC). In conjunction with the Acoustical Data Reduction and Noise Optimization (NOIZOP) computer programs, ASDAS makes up the data processing and of a larger system of data collection and data processing protocols. This larger system is called LISTEN, an acronym for Local Information System to Evaluate Noise. (Strictly speaking, LISTEN refers only to the data processing end of this system, but the term is often used to refer the system as a whole). LISTEN enables a community to determine the most effective combination of noise control measures to employ, given: the nature and distribution of noise sources within the community; the extent and manner in which noise affects the community's residents; and the budgetary limits imposed on the community's planners. Figure 1-1 shows ASDAS' relationship to the rest of LISTEN.

Community Noise Assessment Manual: Acoustical Survey of a Community
July 1, 1981
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This report was prepared by EPA, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, in support of its function to provide technical assisstance to communities. It is one of nine which comprises the Community Noise Assessment Manual. The Manual provides a comprehensive and computerized system for assessing the noise problems of a community and then planning a noise control strategy for its abatement. This Manual presents the technical instructions and guidelines needed by municipal authorities to carry out an initial noise survey. This survey will determine average noise levels ad major noise sources for the community as a whole. It can be used in planning noise reduction measures to benefit the entire community or a substantial portion thereof.

Community Noise Ordinances: Their Evolution, Purpose and Impact
March 13, 1973
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In the United States most municipal noise ordinances initially regulated street related activities, however, these early provisions were generally non-quantitative and consequently unenforceable. The first ordinances containing specific permissible noise levels regulated either activities fixed to the land (industrial activity being the primary source) or automobile and trucks operating on roadways. Today more comprehensive ordinances are evolveing and these regulations are the basis for expanded municipal noise control programs. Their impact has varied due to the quality, content and administration of these ordinances. Recently approved Federal noise legislation (Noise Control Act of 1972) will have a profound influence on the quality and quantity of municipal ordinances.

A Comparison of Sound Power Levels from Portable Air Compressors Based Upon Test Methodologies Adopted by U.S. EPA and the EEC
December 1, 1980
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On December 30, 1975, the United States government issued a regulation which set limits on the amount of noise emitted from portable air compressors. This regulation also specified the noise test procedure to determine the maximum sound pressure level of compressors. On Arpil 5, 1978, the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) submitted a propsed directive to the Council of the European Communities, that also would set limits on the noise emitted by portable air compressors within the European Economic Community (EEC). The proposed directive also specified the test procedure to determine the sound power emitted from a compressor. It became evident that both U.S. and European manufacturers may need to perform two separate noise tests on their compressors if they intend to meet both existing U.S. and the proposed EEC noise standards. At the request of industry, U.S. government representatives entered into discussions with representatives of the CEC in November 1975. These discussions led to an agreement between the CEC and the U.S. EPA to jointly conduct comparative noise tests of various size compressors to assess the potential for alignment of the existing U.S. and the proposed CEC test procedures. The test results presented in this report are the end product of those bilateral discussions and technical cooperation between the CEC and the EPA.

Comparison of Various Methods for Predicting the Loudness and Acceptability of Noise
August 1, 1977
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The objective of this investigation was to compare commonly employed frequency weightings and calculation rating schemes with respect to their ability to predict the subjective effect of sound. This report presents the results of a detailed examination of 23 studies in which listeners judged either the loudness or acceptability of sound. These studies included data available from both the laboratory and the field, and encompassed a wide variety of natural and simulated noise stimuli. The following parameters were examined: (1) subjective attribute judged, (2) type of noise, (3) presence or absence of tonal components, (4) mode of sound presentation, and (5) effect of sound pressure level on observed discrepancies between measurements and predictions. Included in this analysis are computations of absolute mean differences between subjectively equal sounds, mean differences between calculated and measured levels, and standard deviations for each frequency-weighting and calculation system. Among the overall findings were that (a) the standard deviations produced by the A, D1, D2, and E frequency weighting schemes are significantly smaller than the standard deviations produced by the B and C weightings; (b) the standard deviations produced by the D1 and E weightings are not significantly different from each other but are significantly smaller than that produced by the A weighting; (c) the D2 weighting does not appear to be significantly better than either the D1 or E weightings, nor is it statistically different from the A weighting; (d) only the Mark VI and Mark VII calculation systems show significantly smaller standard deviations than the D1 and E weightings, although the Mark VI, Mark VII, PNL, and Zwicker systems all exhibitsignificantly smaller standard deviations than the A, B, and C weightings.

Compendium of Materials for Noise Control
June 1, 1975
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The compendium of available commercial, noise-reduction materials was developed for use by plant engineers, industrial hygienists, acoustical consultants, and others engaged in noise control. It can be used to determine the availability of noise control materials, the characteristics and specifications of the materials, and their supply sources. Also included are data on both sound absorption and transmission loss of materials and a general and technical description of the uses and limitations of the materials listed.

Construction Noise Control Technology Initiatives
September 1, 1980
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The objective of this report is to develop construction noise technology initiatives which could be implemented by the Technology and Federal Programs Division, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, U.S. EPA during the period FY1981-FY1985. The report includes background information on the impact of construction noise, actions that have been carried out by Federal, State and local governments to control construction equipment and construction site noise, and a forecast of construction activity for the period 1980-1985. Construction noise technology needs are developed by: (1) analyzing the noise problems and needs of State and local governments reported in several EPA sponsored surveys; (2) interviews with knowledgable persons in the Federal government, and (3) a telephone survey of equipment manufacturers, construction contractors and trade organizations. Technology initiatives are identified based on the analysis of needs. Project descriptions for each initiative are included in the Appendix. The relative priority for implementing each project is determined using a priority ranking scheme. Finding and conclusions based on the expressed needs, the techology initiatives, and the priority for implementing the technology projects are presented.

Control of Motorcycle Noise Volume 1 Technology and Cost Information
June 1, 1974
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This document contains information useful for the development of noise emission standards for motorcycles. Topics covered include information on motorcycle construction, noise characteristics of models currently on the market, and noise reduction techniques and costs necessary to achieve specified noise levels

Control of Snowmobile Noise Volume 1 Technology and Cost Information
June 1, 1974
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This document contains information useful for the development of noise emission standards for snowmobiles. Topics covered include information on snowmobile construction, noise characteristics of models currently on the market, and noise reduction techniques and costs necessary to achieve specified noise levels,