Integrating soundscape analysis into the National Environmental Policy Act process: A case study.

Abstract

A challenge for the proponents of soundscape analysis within the U.S. is how to integrate subjective observations with the quantitative requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which, historically, emphasize physical measurements of all pollutants, including sound pollution. This paper describes a case study in which an attempt is made to integrate the subjective impressions of a soundscape analysis with objective measurements of equivalent sound level (LEQ). The occasion for this effort was a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action in which the proposed reuse for a former military installation is park and recreational use. The quantitative framework for this study was a graphic used by the U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency (USAEHA) during the 1980s in which the 24 h pattern of outdoor noise exposure is displayed as the minimum, average, and maximum values of 10 min LEQ over the course of a week of measurements. Although the intent of the USAEHA approach had been to determine conformance of military residential areas to Army guidelines, their method for displaying measurement data proved to be amenable to soundscape analysis as well.