Noise Control Act
Encyclopedia
The Noise Pollution and Abatement Act of 1972 is a statute of the United States
initiating a federal program of regulating noise pollution
with the intent of protecting human health and minimizing annoyance of noise to the general public.
The Act established mechanisms of setting emission standards for virtually every source of noise, including motor vehicle
s, aircraft
, certain types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and major appliances. It also put local government
s on notice as to their responsibilities in land use
planning to address noise mitigation
. This noise regulation
framework comprised a broad data base detailing the extent of noise health effects
.
Congress ended funding of the federal noise control program in 1981, which curtailed development of further national regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) retains authority to conduct research and publish information on noise and its effects on the public. The initial EPA regulations and programs provided a basis for development of many state and local government noise control laws across the United States. See Noise regulation
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
initiating a federal program of regulating noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
with the intent of protecting human health and minimizing annoyance of noise to the general public.
The Act established mechanisms of setting emission standards for virtually every source of noise, including motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s, aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, certain types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and major appliances. It also put local government
Local government in the United States
Local government in the United States is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties and municipalities. Some states have their counties divided into townships...
s on notice as to their responsibilities in land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
planning to address noise mitigation
Noise mitigation
Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution. The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, architectural design, and occupational noise control...
. This noise regulation
Noise regulation
Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. After the watershed passage of the United States Noise Control Act of 1972, other local and state governments passed further regulations...
framework comprised a broad data base detailing the extent of noise health effects
Noise health effects
Noise health effects are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. Elevated workplace or other noise can cause hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure...
.
Congress ended funding of the federal noise control program in 1981, which curtailed development of further national regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) retains authority to conduct research and publish information on noise and its effects on the public. The initial EPA regulations and programs provided a basis for development of many state and local government noise control laws across the United States. See Noise regulation
Noise regulation
Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. After the watershed passage of the United States Noise Control Act of 1972, other local and state governments passed further regulations...
.
See also
- Aircraft noiseAircraft noiseAircraft noise is noise pollution produced by any aircraft or its components, during various phases of a flight: on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power units, while taxiing, on run-up from propeller and jet exhaust, during take off, underneath and lateral to departure and arrival paths,...
, for a treatment of aviation related noise. - Industrial noiseIndustrial noiseIndustrial noise is usually considered mainly from the point of view of environmental health and safety, rather than nuisance, as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage. Traditionally, occupational noise has been a hazard linked to heavy industries such as ship-building and...
, for a discussion of workplace noise. - Roadway noiseRoadway noiseRoadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from motor vehicles. In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source, and is constituted chiefly of engine, tire, aerodynamic and braking elements...
, for a discussion of the prevalent form of environmental noise.