Environmental noise

The term ambient noise, the noise impact of the sound sources road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and industry are to be considered together. The term was introduced by Directive 2002/49/EC ( Directive on Environmental Noise ) and defined Europe.

General

The aim of the Environmental Noise Directive inter alia, is to map the noise and calculate the number of affected residents from noise. For this is - starting from the respective sound source - be the strength of the exposure calculated or measured and presented in 5 - dB increments. The EC directive allows both calculations and measurements. Measures should be developed to improve the form of action plans. The mapping and the measures to be reviewed and revised at least every five years. Also new is the prescribed information and public participation.

The crucial point in Article 7 was 1 set 2 set deadline of 30 June 2005 to the Member States ' major roads with traffic of more than six million vehicle passages a year, major railways with traffic of more than 60 000 train passages per year, major airports and the agglomerations with more than 250 000 inhabitants should report on their territory " of the European Commission.

Since 31 December 2008, lower values ​​apply - eg for agglomerations 100,000 inhabitants, so that the volume of data to be reported has increased considerably. On 26 October 2009, the European Environment Agency (EEA ) published the first comprehensive noise map of Europe.

Germany

So far, in Germany there are a number of laws and standards for the calculation and assessment of noise effects, which apply different standards in the various noise sources. So the traffic noise under applicable law is not measured but only calculated. A special exception is the aircraft noise at airports, which is measured as the only source of noise 24 hours a day continuously.

In the years 2005 and 2006, the federal government has created the § § 47 af of the Federal Pollution Control Act, and the 34th BlmSchV for Germany the appropriate legal basis for the implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive. Unlike other European countries, the legislature has provided no measurements in Germany. There new calculation rules have been enacted which differ from the previous ones. This results in the public often confusion because the traffic authorities expect, for example, the construction of roads under the old rule RLS -90, in the noise mapping but the calculation rule is used VBUS. In contrast to other countries, leisure noise is not recorded in Germany from the Environmental Noise Directive.

Since 1990 there was a legal obligation in Germany to set up so-called noise abatement plans under the old version of the Federal Pollution Control Act. This obligation were many cities and towns not complied with. With the Environmental Noise Directive should be trying to achieve this goal of a binding European regulation.

In Germany is the duty of noise mapping in the communities or the competent authorities under state law, if it is not the federal railway infrastructure: Their noise propagation is mapped by the Federal Railway Authority; the results can be seen on the internet on a map. The busiest Federal Railroads are located in Munich ( about 330,000 trains per year) and in Berlin ( 250,000 moves per year).

The mapping results must be communicated to the public and the EU. The public should be involved in order to inform about the particular noise problems. The Environmental Noise Directive here has a democratic approach by a citizen participation is sought in the preparation of action plans to reduce noise. How this participation should look like in detail is left to the countries, cities and communities.

Until July 18, 2008 so-called action plans should be completed for noise reduction. This task is the responsibility of the municipalities. Since that date had yet been no noise maps of the state-owned railway lines, the action plans could treat only part of the noise problems. Thus, some cities such as Hamburg and Bremen began though in time with the preparation of the action plans. However, the Action Plan for Hamburg is referred to in the version of 24 November 2008, only a " Strategic Noise Action Plan" and has been revised by the year 2012, when the second phase of noise mapping already been carried out. From the provinces a total of 27 metropolitan areas ( over 250,000 inhabitants) were reported. In the second stage of the noise mapping, the number of metropolitan areas was significantly larger by reducing the limit to 100,000 inhabitants. The now widespread possibilities of the Internet were the occasion to offer citizens an opportunity to participate via this medium for many cities.

A legal requirement when an action plan should be created to reduce noise, is in Germany have not been available. However, there are voluntary noise abatement programs of Deutsche Bahn and the Federal Highway Administration.

France

France had compiled the relevant data until after the deadline set by the EU. A total of 24 metropolitan areas were reported, where Paris with 9.6 million inhabitants, was the largest. An explanatory letter to the European Commission was not published.

Austria

A similar and more extensive regulation as in Germany to map the state-owned railways can be found in Austria: Here the individual noise sources are mapped according to the polluter pays principle. The federal government is responsible for national roads and the respective state for the country's roads. The federal government has the motorways and expressways financing AG ( ASFINAG ) entrusted with the mapping of the national road network; for noise remediation 30 to 50 million euros are planned annually alone here. A threshold value of 50 dB at night ( 22-6 clock ) and 60 dB 60 dB at night and 70 dB were in streets as total noise index (24 hours), with rails set as the total noise index.

With regard to the action plan pursued Austria thus partially very ambitious goals in comparison to other EU countries, where the competent authority is planning for the noise source, the individual measures. With the compilation of the Action Plans in 2008 results in a complete and uniform picture, since it is an action plan for each state. In public participation, the Internet is increasingly used.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom on 29 June 2005 - one day before the deadline set by the EU - supplied the relevant data. A total of 28 metropolitan areas were reported, where London with 8.3 million inhabitants, was the largest. The majority of metropolitan areas located in England, Scotland and Wales, there are two, in Northern Ireland, only the capital Belfast. In its letter to the European Commission, the UK Environment Agency pointed out that the data reported to the next meeting, namely the noise mapping in 2007 - would change by demography and movements yet.

Overall consideration

In Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom (Great Britain) to implement the Directive into national law was not made within the prescribed period, after which, since July 2005, the European Commission is taking legal initiated steps.

Revealing a country comparison will be in a European context. Whether the German default, only to calculate the noise will prevail at the European level, is doubtful. Currently, a majority of measurements seems likely to emerge. Technically measurements - particularly in urban areas ( cities ) - nowadays feasible. In contrast to calculations measurements would be always up to date and could grasp the overall situation.

Criticism

An important finding of the large number of laws and regulations remains concerned citizens: A legal claim arises from the Environmental Noise Directive so far only in terms of information. For all binding measures to reduce noise - at least in Germany - continue the current law.

Given the fact that many affected towns and communities are deeply in debt, the policy is left to decide which measures are taken to reduce the noise exposure. Here, at the end of the individual citizen, it does not matter whether the basis for this decision is based on measurements or calculations.

A comparison at European level is difficult because the quality of data is very different. While in some cities (eg, London and Berlin) corresponding noise maps had been created before the entry into force of the Environmental Noise Directive, lacking elsewhere partly still the technical requirements in order to prepare the data to be determined.

In addition, the different calculation methods, both in Germany and in Europe.

Credentials

Swell

  • Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 on the assessment and management of environmental noise
  • Act implementing the EC Directive on the assessment and management of environmental noise on 24 June 2005
  • Thirty-Fourth Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Pollution Control Act (Ordinance on Noise Mapping - 34 BlmSchV ) from 6 March 2006
  • Preliminary calculation method for environmental noise along railway lines ( VBUSch ) of 22 May 2006
  • Preliminary calculation method for environmental noise on roads ( VBUS) of 22 May 2006
  • Preliminary calculation method for the ambient noise at airfields ( VBUF ) of 22 May 2006
  • Preliminary calculation method for environmental noise from industrial and commercial ( VBUI ) of 22 May 2006
  • Preliminary calculation method to determine the numbers impacted by ambient noise ( VBEB ) February 9, 2007
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