905R80119
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
NOISE
A COMMUNITY PRO
A COMMUNITY SOL
i
Facto About the ECHO Program
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ORDINACE
NOISE ORDINANCE
ENFORCED
CITY OF EUGLEWOOD
Picture Credits
Donald Johnson
Portland, Maine
George Linblade
Sioux City, Iowa
Mason Smith
Portland, Maine
We would also like to thank Ecosometrics,
Inc., and the community noise advisors for
their photographs, as well as the Klngsport
Times-News for letting us use its articles and
questionnaire.
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905R80119
NOISE
A COMMUNITY PROBLEM:
A COMMUNITY SOLUTION
Facts About the ECHO Program
With ECHO'S help, we were able to speed up
our noise program. All I furnished was the
manpower. ECHO did all the rest.
-William D. Lamb
Chief of Police
Fort Dodge, Iowa
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THE TROUBLE WITH NOISE
Noise is fast becoming one of the nation's largest environmental problems.
As America's population grows, the effects of noise are felt everywhere—from
major urban centers, to the suburbs, to small towns.
Aside from the annoyance it produces, noise can pose a health hazard:
Some cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure may be related to
excessive noise—not to mention what it can do to the human ear. Noise is a
real threat to the quality of life, especially in urban areas, and the problem is
not getting any better.
Late in 1978, for example, the National League of Cities asked Gallup to
find out how city dwellers felt about their environment. The results of that poll
showed the public to perceive noise as a more serious problem than either air
pollution or drinking water contamination. Further, noise was ranked as the
environmental problem that has worsened over the last five years.
The answer to the problem is not easy, however. The character and
amount of noise varies from community to community. Where heavy industry
may be the source of excessive noise in one community, vehicular noise may
be the culprit in another. In most cases, then, noise is a local problem that
requires local solutions. And finding those solutions demands community
interest in the problem and the availability of local resources to tackle it.
ECHO
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ECHO CAN HELP
In 1976, the Environmental Protection Agency established a program
called Each Community Helps Others (ECHO). Its purpose: to help
communities with scarce resources solve their noise problems by working with
expert advisors from other communities that have faced and met similar
challenges. This assistance costs the communities receiving it nothing—but
time, effort, and commitment to reduce noise.
The Role of the Environmental Protection Agency
Through the ECHO program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
matches the skills of a local noise expert, called a community noise advisor
(CNA), with the needs of the community requesting assistance, called the
recipient community (RC). EPA gives special attention to pairing the right
person with the right job; sometimes more than know-how is required. To
make sure they can work effectively in the communities they are assigned to,
EPA selects CNAs with an eye to similarities in geographic location,
employment background, and even personality.
EPA pays the community noise advisors' out-of-pocket expenses, such as
travel, per diem, and telephone calls. However, the CNAs are not paid for
their time—they volunteer it. ECHO is a program of citizens helping each
other because they want to and because they care.
EPA also gives technical assistance and tools as requested, sponsors or
assists in workshops and conferences, and provides national publicity about
the ECHO program. In some instances, it pays the travel and per diem
expenses of RC staff members.
The Role of the Recipient Community
A candidate recipient community is one that has a noise problem, is in a
position to do something about it, and has asked EPA for assistance from the
ECHO program. On being selected as an ECHO member, the recipient
community retains the responsibility for its own noise abatement activities, but
it can call on the CNA and EPA for technical and management expertise, at
no expense to itself.
The benefits of participating in ECHO are twofold: First, key staffers in
the recipient community increase their skills and effectiveness in controlling
noise. And second, they can later help other communities by volunteering as
CNAs themselves.
The Role of the Community Noise Advisor
Each community noise advisor is currently operating an effective noise
control effort in his or her own community and is a recognized expert in the
field. The CNA brings to the recipient community the knowledge gained
through years of experience in motor vehicle noise, land-use management and
zoning regulations, developing and passing ordinances, construction site noise,
assessing local attitudes about noise, promoting community involvement,
testifying at public hearings, and training noise enforcement officers.
How this experience can best be applied is taken into account when EPA
matches a CNA with a recipient community, but the final decision rests with
the RC. Before beginning work, the CNA travels to the recipient community
for a meeting with key staff members to discuss the type of technical
assistance to be provided and to agree on a tentative schedule of activities.
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ECHO AT WORK
The following sections highlight some of the activities CNAs have carried
out in ECHO recipient communities. Most CNAs now in the ECHO program
can and do perform many or all of the services discussed below, although here
they have been identified with one particular activity by way of illustration.
Attitudinal Noise Surveys
Asking people how they feel about noise
serves two purposes: One, it helps identify the
extent of a community's noise problem. Two, it
encourages citizen involvement by letting
people know their opinions can make a
difference. In addition, some surveys train and
use local citizens as interviewers, emphasizing
further the notion that the public can do
something about noise.
Such was the case in Kansas City, whose
noise abatement program was in the early
stages of development when CNA Cindy Clark
(shown on the right) visited there. Ms. Clark,
coordinator of the Quiet Community Program
in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was assigned to
Kansas City because of her previous role as
director of Allentown's attitudinal noise survey.
In Kansas City, Ms. Clark helped adapt the
Allentown questionnaire to meet local needs.
She also conducted the training session
(pictured below) for the twenty-five Kansas City
senior citizens who served as interviewers.
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Noise Measurement Surveys
Actually measuring the amount of noise at
various sites and from different sources is
another way of assessing a noise problem.
Noise measurement surveys can provide hard
evidence about the need for new zoning and
nuisance regulations or changing the ones
currently in effect. They can also form the
basis for enforceable noise control efforts by
defining acceptable decibel levels in the
community.
With a population of 65,000, Portland,
Maine, is one of the largest cities in New
England. Its major sources of noise are traffic,
industry, and the international airport.
Portland currently has a zoning ordinance that
covers noise, but it is difficult to enforce
because no decibel levels have been set. To
remedy the situation and to prevent future
problems arising from expected growth and
development, Portland asked for ECHO's
assistance with a noise measurement survey.
CNA Paul Willis, conservation director in
Brookline, Massachusetts, was called in to
work with the Portland planning staff. Mr.
Willis arranged for measurement equipment,
trained city personnel in its use, and selected
135 sites for measurements representing a
variety of noise sources and levels. Here, Mr.
Willis (standing to the right in the photograph)
and a city staffer take a sound-level reading.
Training in Noise Measurement
and Enforcement Techniques
In many cities, traffic noise is the primary
problem. Too often, citizens fail to report
vehicular noise because they feel the police
can do little to apprehend the offenders.
Unfortunately, that perception is right on the
mark—unless police are equipped with
enforceable noise regulations or ordinances,
sound-level meters, and proper training in their
use.
When Anchorage, Alaska, and
Bellingham, Washington, needed someone to
train their police officers in noise measurement
and testing procedures, ECHO sent CNA
Robert Laws, a sergeant with the Eugene,
Oregon, Police Department. Shown at the left
demonstrating the use of a sound-level meter,
Sgt. Laws trained seven police officers in
Anchorage and eleven in Bellingham. He also
discussed at length techniques for enforcing
vehicular noise regulations, particularly those
pertaining to motorcycle and truck noise. As a
fellow police officer with an impressive array of
experience in local enforcement problems, Sgt.
Laws commanded the respect of his students
and afforded a perfect match for the technical
assistance needs of these two cities.
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Design of Noise Ordinances
Noise ordinances offer an effective tool for
local noise abatement activities. To be truly
useful, however, they must clearly specify the
types, sources, and levels of noise to be
restricted under the law. If an ordinance is too
general or vague, violations may be difficult to
uphold and consequently the police may be
reluctant or unable to enforce it.
Recognizing the need for a well-written
noise ordinance, Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
requested help from ECHO. CNA James
Adams, environmental protection officer from
Boulder, Colorado, was the answer. Mr.
Adams, hard at work on the right in the
photograph, designed a noise-level survey to
identify the city's needs. Later, he helped draft
the ordinance and testified before the board of
commissioners. The result of Mr. Adams's
technical assistance: Sioux Falls adopted the
noise ordinance.
Support at Public Hearings
The public hearing process provides the
mechanism for the formal consideration of
local noise issues. It is the forum where all
interested parties can make their views known.
CNAs frequently serve as witnesses at such
hearings, as in the case of Anchorage and
Sioux Falls discussed later.
CNA Frank Habelka (on the left) helped
develop evidence for public hearings held in
Charlotte, North Carolina, during March 1978.
Charlotte's noise problem had received much
publicity and a good deal of citizen complaint.
The resultant spotlight under which the
hearings would take place underscored the
need for solid advance preparation. Although
Mr. Habelka, chief mechanical inspector and
noise control officer from Daytona Beach,
Florida, did not testify at this particular
hearing himself, he made experts of those who
did.
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Policy Analysis and
Legislative Programs
Besides local experts, ECHO program
participants have benefited from the
knowledge of high-ranking state officials. This
assistance has often taken the form of policy
analysis support and legislative program
development.
For example, CNA Mel Schneidermeyer,
until recently deputy commissioner of
environmental protection for the state of
Connecticut, helped the Iowa Technical
Advisory Committee on Noise develop a state
noise ordinance. Based on his experience in
Connecticut, Mr. Schneidermeyer gave a
presentation in which he contributed valuable
insights to the planning of state noise control
programs and suggested a ten-point strategy
for developing Iowa's ordinance. Mr.
Schneidermeyer (shown here on the right)
reached an even broader audience of state and
local officials when he was invited to speak at
the New Hampshire Noise Control Workshop
in Concord.
Opinion
Public Information Programs
The success of any community's noise
abatement activities largely depends on the
support and involvement of its citizens. ECHO
CNAs have put together public information
programs ranging from health fairs to local
media campaigns.
CNA Newton Vaughan, head of the
Huntsville, Alabama, Noise Control
Department, has been assisting the recipient
community of Kingsport, Tennessee, for some
time. Through his efforts, several articles on
the local noise problem were published in the
Kingsport Times-News. Following an interview
with Mr. Vaughan, the paper not only printed
an editorial, but also urged readers to fill out
its own questionnaire as additional proof of the
need for city officials to act on the noise
problem.
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ECHO SUCCEEDS
As a final look at how the ECHO program works, the following three case
studies exemplify the success to be gained from one community helping
another toward a quieter environment.
A Small City Noise Problem:
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Noise is a problem that affects all
communities—large and small. And Fort
Dodge, a small city of about 33,000, is no
exception. There, traffic is the main source of
noise. Because CNA James Cornelia of the
Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department had done
considerable work with vehicular noise in his
own community, ECHO matched him with
nearby Fort Dodge. Sgt. Cornelia (in the two
photographs at the right) helped Fort Dodge
officials design an effective noise abatement
program. A typical sequence of events in the
design process is shown below:
March 14, 1979. Fort Dodge asks EPA for assistance
under the ECHO program and becomes a recipient
community.
April 4, 1979. Sgt. Cornelia makes his first visit to
Fort Dodge and talks with the mayor, chief of police,
commissioner of public safety, and seventeen police
officers. In this three-hour meeting, the feasibility of
a vehicular noise ordinance is discussed and a plan is
developed.
April 18, 1979. Sgt. Cornelia reviews the final draft
of the proposed ordinance and makes
recommendations.
April 25, 1979. With the ordinance about to be
passed, Sgt. Cornelia gives a demonstration of the
sound-level meters that will be used. This meeting is
attended by the chief of police, commissioner of
safety, thirteen command officers, and seventeen
police officers. A field trip is conducted to simulate
actual conditions.
July 9, 1979. The Fort Dodge City Council passes the
ordinance.
July 12-13, 1979. Sgt. Cornelia gives an enforcement
workshop for twelve police officers; attendance is
open to the public. Officials from Mason City, Iowa,
are also present.
As a result of ECHO's assistance, Fort
Dodge has a vehicular noise ordinance and
police officers who are highly qualified to
enforce it.
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A Regional Approach to Noise:
Norfolk, Virginia
Once CNA Donna Dickman began helping
Norfolk control its noise problem, the idea
caught on, creating interest in the neighboring
communities that form what is called the
Tidewater Area. As the need for an areawide
approach became apparent, Dr. Dickman's
previous regional experience as manager of the
Washington, D.C., Council of Governments'
environmental noise program proved especially
valuable. Dr. Dickman provided technical
assistance for a noise-monitoring survey; gave
a training seminar on noise control to health
department staffers, nurses, and CETA
employees; conducted a land-use planning
workshop for city officials from the Norfolk
metropolitan area; and made a presentation on
the noise problem to every health director in
the state, among other activities.
After working with Dr. Dickman, Mr. Pete
Nicholas, project manager of Norfolk's noise
study, volunteered as a CNA himself and
extended his efforts to other Tidewater
communities. In the process, ECHO and the
Tidewater Area gained a new CNA along with
a coordinated approach to noise control. Here,
Mr. Nicholas (standing to the right) works with
two CETA employees.
An Environmental Milestone:
Anchorage, Alaska
The Anchorage Department of Health and
Environmental Protection has been working on
a noise ordinance since 1975. When the ECHO
program was introduced, Anchorage quickly
requested technical assistance. CNA Paul
Herman, acoustical project manager and noise
control officer in Portland, Oregon, volunteered
for the job. Initially, Dr. Herman (shown at the
left) provided information on noise program
management, briefed city officials on how to
prepare legislative packages, and reviewed the
draft ordinance. Later, he spoke to the
Anchorage Assembly and discussed issues
raised about the ordinance's effect on the
trucking and construction industry. On
December 19, 1978, the ordinance passed the
Anchorage Assembly, prompting city officials
to write EPA: "without ECHO's assistance, our
noise control ordinance would never have been
enacted."
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INTERESTED IN ECHO?
ECHO assistance is available to cities, counties, and states with noise
problems. If your community could benefit from the technical assistance of a
CNA, or if you would like additional information about ECHO, contact the
EPA noise chief in your region (shown below). If you prefer, you can use the
reply card on the next page and EPA will forward it to the appropriate
regional noise chief.
EPA
Region
States
Address
EPA
Noise Chief
I Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut
II New York, New Jersey,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
III Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Delaware, West Virginia,
District of Columbia
IV North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky, Mississippi,
Georgia, Florida,
Alabama
V Wisconsin, Illinois,
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana,
Minnesota
VI New Mexico, Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas
VII Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa,
Missouri
VIII Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Wyoming,
Utah, Colorado
IX California, Nevada,
Arizona, Hawaii
X Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Alaska
John F. Kennedy Building
Room 2113
Boston, Massachusetts 02203
26 Federal Plaza
Room 907G
New York, New York 10007
Curtis Building
Room 225
6th and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
230 S. Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
1202 Elm Street
Dallas, Texas 75270
1735 Baltimore Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
1860 Lincoln Street
Suite 900
Denver, Colorado 80295
215 Fremont Street
San Francisco, California 94105
1200 Sixth Avenue
Room 11C
Seattle, Washington 98101
Al Hicks
(617) 223-5708
Tom O'Hare
(212) 264-2109
Patrick Anderson
(215) 597-9118
Kent Williams
(404) 881-4861
Horst Witschonke
(312) 353-2202
Mike Mendias
(214) 767-2742
Vincent Smith
(816) 374-3307
Larry Svoboda
(303) 337-2221
Richard Procunier
(415) 556-4606
Helen Baer
(206) 442-1253
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PEOPLE ARE TALKING!
Through ECHO, we are receiving the technical
assistance we need to undertake a noise
assessment survey. ECHO is giving us the
confidence that we will be producing
meaningful data and that they will be properly
analyzed. The results will help us decide what
shape our program should take.
Howard Bellinger
Executive Director, Chatham County-Savannah
Metropolitan Planning Commission
Savannah, Georgia
ECHO has enabled us to transfer knowledge to
surrounding communities, standardize decibel
levels, and unify enforcement standards for the
entire region.
Jeff Everett
Acting Director, Bureau of Public Health
Allentown, Pennsylvania
We were looking for a mechanism to address
the problem of traffic noise—motorcycle noise
in particular. The more we learned about
ECHO, the more we liked it. ECHO has been
an invaluable tool in planning and eventually
implementing our vehicular noise ordinance.
Roger Campbell
Assistant City Manager for Community Services
Kingsport, Tennessee
Because of ECHO, Portland is currently
realizing the great extent and influence of noise
in our community. ECHO is providing the
assistance necessary to understand the
problems and how they can be solved. As
mayor, I am most pleased that Portland,
Maine, is participating in this program.
Llewellyn Smith
Mayor
Portland, Maine
Thanks to ECHO, we were able to determine
noise levels, arouse public awareness, and
work with surrounding communities to combat
an areawide problem.
Harry Wise
Director, Public Health Department
Norfolk, Virginia
Euery time u>e haue asked for support, we've
gotten an immediate response from ECHO. I
am so enthusiastic about ECHO. I encourage
other cities to seek ECHO's help.
Susan Oswalt
Department of Health and Environmental Protection
Anchorage, Alaska
I I Yes, I am interested in learning more about the ECHO program.
My community's noise problems are:
Name: .
Agency:.
City: _
Title:
Address: .
State:.
Zip:_
Telephone: ( )
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EPA-ONAC
ANR 471
Please use an envelope:
the Post Office will not accept
this coupon as a Post Card.
Send to:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Noise Office - ANR 471
Washington, D.C. 20460
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