Noise Control Act

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.^[1]

The Act established mechanisms of setting emission standards for virtually every source of noise, including motor vehicles, aircraft, certain types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and major appliances. It also put local governments 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.^[2] The initial EPA regulations and programs provided a basis for development of many state and local government noise control laws across the United States.^[3][4] See Noise regulation.

See also

• Aircraft noise, for a treatment of aviation related noise.
• Industrial noise, for a discussion of workplace noise.
• Roadway noise, for a discussion of the prevalent form of environmental noise.

References

1. ^ Noise Control Act of 1972, P.L. 92-574, 86 Stat. 1234, 42 U.S.C. § 4901 - 42 U.S.C. § 4918.
2. ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, DC. "Noise Pollution." 2010-05-18.
3. ^ Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, Montpelier, VT. "State Noise Statutes & Regulations." Accessed 2010-08-19.
4. ^ Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, Montpelier, VT. "Noise Regulations & Ordinances of U.S. Cities, Counties and Towns." Accessed 2010-08-19.