v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Noise Abatement Control
Washington DC 20460
EPA 550/9-79-211
December 1979
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR FINAL INTERSTATE RAIL CARRIER
NOISE EMISSION REGULATION:
SOURCE STANDARDS
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR THE FINAL
INTERSTATE RAIL CARRIER NOISE EMISSION REGULATION:
SOURCE STANDARDS
December, 1979
Prepared By
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Noise Abatement and Control
THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR
GENERAL AVAILABILITY. IT DOES NOT CONSTI-
TUTE A STANDARD, SPECIFICATION, OR REGULATION.
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SUMMARY
1. TITLE OF ACTION: Noise Emission Standards for Transportation Equipment:
Interstate Rail Carriers
2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: This action by the Environmental Protection
Agency is taken in response to directives of Section 17 of the Noise Control
Act of 1972, as amended, and is intended to reduce the level of noise emitted
from railroad facility and equipment sources* The regulation will establish
a national standard for specific sources and, as provided by the Act, will
preempt state and local government statutes and ordinances. This action
establishes noise emission standards for active retarders, locomotive load
cell test stands and car coupling and amends Sections 201.11 and 201.12 of the
Rail Carrier Noise Emission Regulation (40 CFR Part 201) to provide additional
control of switcher locomotive noise.
In arriving at the regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency
investigated in detail the railroad transportation industry, noise control
technology, noise measurement methodologies, costs of compliance and economic
impacts. Results of the research and analyses conducted in each of these
areas is described in the "Background Document for Final Interstate Rail
Carrier Noise Emission Regulation: Source Standards", December 1979.
3. IMPACTS:
a. Reduction in overall railyard site noise levels and associated
cumulative long-term impact upon the exposed population.
b. General improvement on the quality of life, with quietness as an
amenity resource.
c. It is estimated that between 6.5 and 10 million people are currently
exposed to noise which has been identified as potentially harmful
to public health and welfare resulting from railroad operations and
other ambient noise sources in the vicinity of railyards.
It is estimated that compliance with this regulation will result in
approximately a 10 to 15 percent reduction in Impact considering both
extent and severity.
d. The total initial capital cost of the proposed standard is estimated
to be $110 million. On an annualized basis, costs will be $24.3 million
per year.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR FINAL
INTERSTATE RAIL CARRIER NOISE EMISSION REGULATION:
SOURCE STANDARDS
ABSTRACT
i_This Environmental Impact Statement addresses the final noise emission
regulation for railroad activities, other than line-haul operations.) In
arriving at the final regulation, the Environmental Protection Agency carried
out detailed investigations of railroad yard operations, noise sources, noise
measurement methodologies, available noise control technology, costs attendant
to noise control methods, possible economic impacts, and the potential environ-
mental and health and welfare benefits associated with the application of
various noise control measures. Data and information were generated as a
result of these investigations. /Summaries are presented herein of the more
pertinent information regarding the environmental impacts expected to result
from the regulatory action. I
INTRODUCTION
In accordance with Section 17 of the Noise Control Act of 1972, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a noise emission regulation
for railroad locomotives and railcars which are used in interstate commerce.
The regulation was promulgated on December 31, 1975. The regulation was
challenged in a suit brought against the Agency by the Association of American
Railroads (AAR) which contended that it did not establish standards for all of
the facilities and equipment of interstate rail carriers as required by the
Act. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia subse-
quently ruled that the Agency must broaden the scope of its existing rail
carrier regulation.
Following the Court's decision, the Agency initiated investigative study
and noise measurement efforts to develop the necessary information and data on
which to base the regulation. The "Background Document for Final Interstate Rail
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Carrier Noise Emission Regulation: Source Standards" details the scope,
context and breadth of the work conducted in support of the regulation.*
Section 2 of the Background Document characterizes the railroad industry from
a physical and economic perspective. Section 3 identifies and classifies the
railroad equipment and facilities studied, Including railroad yard operations
and activities. Baseline noise levels corresponding to specific railroad yard
noise sources are described in Section 4. The "best available technology" to
reduce noise emissions from the specified noise sources is also described in
Section 4. Section 5 describes and details the results of the railroad yard
noise propagation model and the potential health and welfare benefits asso-
ciated with various noise control measures. Section 6 describes the costs
attendant to noise control methods to achieve various regulatory study levels
and details the possible economic impacts. An analysis of comments submitted
to the docket during the comment period is provided in Section 7.
The Agency now is revising the December 31, 1975 regulation to include
standards which limit noise emissions resulting frorc the operation of certain
equipment and facilities of interstate rail carriers. As required by the
Noise Control Act of 1972, these standards are based on the degree of noise
reduction achievable through the application of "best available technology,
taking into account the cost of compliance." These regulations apply to both
existing and new equipment and facilities.
THE REGULATION
Numerous different combinations of control levels and lead times were
investigated as part of the background study. The Background Document
details the principal options considered in the decision-making process.
Standards are being issued which will limit noise emissions from specific
equipment: active retarders, locomotive load cell test stands and switcher
locomotives. Additionally, a standard is being issued which will limit the
noise due to one railyard operation: car coupling impacts.
* Available from: EPA Public Information Center (PM-215 Lobby West
Tower Gallery No. 1), Waterside Mall, Washington, D.C. 20460,
(202) 755-0717.
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The standards to control equipment and operation noise are based on
measurements to be taken at receiving (residential or commercial) property.
This approach establishes a definitive limit on the level of noise that can
cross the boundary of a railroad facility onto adjoining or nearby receiving
property. Measurements can be made on any receiving property around railroad
yards to determine if the standard is being met. Also, this approach assures
that abatement occurs only where it is actually necessary to protect people.
The standards and effective dates for sound emanating from a railroad
facility to a community location are presented in Table 1.
Table 1
Source
Active
retarders
Locomotive
load cell
test stands
Car coupling
Switch engines
Residential or Commercial
Receiving Property
Standards. dB (A-Weighted)
83 dB at receiviug property
78 dB at 30 meters*
92 dB at receiving property*
87 dB at any throttle setting
except idle and 70 dB at idle
(stationary), and 90 dB (moving)*
all at 30 meters.
Effective Date
January 15, 1984
January 15, 1984
January 15, 1984
January 15, 1984
The noise emission standard for retarders is a not-to-exceed adjusted
average maximum A-welghted sound level of 83 dB at residential or commercial
receiving property. The effective date for the standard is January 15, 1984,
* See following text for applicability of specific standards
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The noise emission standard for locomotive load cell test stands is
a not-to-exceed A-weighted sound level of 78 dB measured at 30 meters from
the geometric center of the locomotive undergoing test. This standard applies
only if the load cell noise level exceeds 65 dB at residential or commercial
receiving property. If the test site requirements for noise measurement at
30 meters cannot be met, then the A-weighted sound level from the load cell
test stand must not exceed 65 dB when measured at a receiving property measure-
ment location of more than 120 meters from the test stand. The effective date
of this standard is January 15, 1984.
The noise emission standard for car coupling is a not-to-exceed
adjusted average maximum A-weighted sound level of 92 dB at residential or
commercial receiving property unless a railroad demonstrates that the standard
is exceeded when cars representative of those found to exceed the standard are
coupled at similar locations at coupling speeds that do not exceed 8 miles per
hour. The effective date of the standard is January 15, 1984.
The noise emission standard for switch engines is a not-to-exceed
A-weighted sound level of 87 dS at any throttle setting except idle, and
70 dB at idle for stationary engines, and 90 dB for moving engines, all at 30
meters. This standard applies to switchers manufactured on or before December
31, 1979 and only when the switch engines in a railyard cause the noise level
to exceed 65 dB at a residential or commercial receiving property measurement
location. The effective date of this standard is January 15, 1984.
The regulation encompasses noise from the above sources of interstate
rail carriers, and it preempts independent state and local regulation of these
sources. However, state and local governments, as provided under Section 17
(c)(l) of the Noise Control Act, may adopt and enforce standards that are
identical to those promulgated by EPA.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The environmental impacts of the final regulation are reduced community
and individual effects from railroad noise with certain secondary impacts in
other areas of environmental concern.
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Between 6.5 and 10 million people in the United States are exposed to
day-night average railroad facility and equipment (excluding mainline opera-
tions) noise levels of L
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the source standard for active retarders, the oil and antifreeze
added to the spray water may result in increased contaminated runoff.
This must be limited by proper control practices such as the instal-
lation of a wastewater treatment system. In some cases a discharge
permit will be required for water pollution control purposes by the
state.
o Solid Waste Disposal Requirements
The proposed regulation should have no adverse effects on solid
waste disposal requirements.
o Wildlife
Although wildlife may possibly benefit from reduced noise levels,
not enough is known about such effects to arrive at definite
conclusions.
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