Orange County NC Website
Attachment 3 2 5 <br />Environmental Sound <br />Page 14 <br />Nafiona] Standard <br />The use of DNL, for land-use planning has been standardized in a national standard, ANSI S 12.9 Part 5 <br />Sound LevelI)escriptors for DeterminationofCompatible Land Use, Note thatthis is forplanningthe use <br />of land with an existing noise exposwe, rather than for evaluating impact of a new noise on existing <br />development. An appendix to this standazd (which is notstrictly apart ofthe standaid) gives examples of <br />compatible day-night levels for vazious land uses, It indicates that single-family homes with extensive <br />outdoor use are compatible with day-night levels of 55 dBA and less, and marginally compatible in the <br />range of 55 to 65 dBA, <br />International Guidelines <br />The World Health Organization (WHO)has guidelines indicating that "serious annoyance" should be <br />expected in residential areas ifthe average sound levelexceeds 55 dBA in the daytime or45 dBA at night, <br />with "moderate annoyance" for levels 5 dB lower, The WHO also suggests a limit of 60 dBA on the <br />maximum event level at night to protect from sleep disruption. <br />The World Bank Group has guidelines to inswe that their projects in developing countries do not create <br />problems. They require that financed industrial projects not exceed average levels of 55 dBA in the <br />daytime and 45 dBA at night at residential locations. These recommendations are supported by the <br />IntemationalOrganizationforEconomic Co-operation and Development, which further recommends levels <br />5 dB lower in rural azeas, <br />><rocal Noise Ordinances <br />The firstknown local noise ordinance containing specific measured noise limits was adopted by Chicago <br />around 1955. It followed an extensive survey of existing city sounds. The limits were expressed iri <br />octave-bands. These were inning regulations aimed primarily at industry. Initially, they applied to steady <br />sounds only and were the same day and night, The equivalent A-weighted levels were 61 dBA for sound <br />entering other business areas; and 54 dBA for sound entering residential areas.. The survey showed that <br />only one percent of the industry in the city would need to act to meet the limits. <br />Ordinances m ay be wring performance standards for new sources, or general ordinances enforced against <br />any source, Zoning perforrriance standards will more commonly include octave band limits and can be <br />more stringent than general ordinances to limit the growth of noise. General ordinances usually aze kept <br />simple and based on measurements over periods typically less than an hour, They cannot be a full <br />assessment of the long-tens noise environment, The limits in them should be appropriate for the <br />measwement method and length of measwement specified. Thus, for a short measurement period, limits <br />should be set a little higher so as not to restrictunduly a sound that only lasts a short period, The limits also <br />