Factors other than noise that precipitate a community response—some case histories

Abstract

In today's society the awareness that noise can be controlled in the community has been heightened by various governmental actions. A community's response to noise may often be precipitated by a cause other than noise. While it is usually assumed that established noise criteria would describe a satisfactory environment, this paper demonstrates this is not always true. Such criteria should not be the only means used to judge the community's response to noise. Many complaints about noise sources have been a result of, but not limited to, some of the following: (1) the noise source's visibility, (2) its permanence in the community, (3) communication gaps between community and industry, (4) money to be gained through litigation, (:5) higher utility rates from REA because of a power plant next door, and (6) general awareness of noise. Some case histories, which include power plants and water pumping stations in residential and recreational settings, large transformer substations, and field compressor station, will illustrate that these items can be more important than the noise levels of the source.