We just received word that yesterday, at its annual meeting in Boston, the American Public Health Association adopted a policy statement on noise pollution. The full statement will be available in a few months, but here’s the brief description the APHA provided:

Policy Statement 20135 Responding to environmental noise pollution

— Citing findings that chronic environmental noise can cause negative health issues, urges officials with the National Prevention Strategy to include environmental noise pollution in its action plan.

Calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to collect data on noise-related health effects, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect data on the burden of disease potentially related to noise exposure.

Also calls on states and municipalities to update noise regulations with regard to the health effects of noise pollution and include noise pollution in health impact assessments.

You might also want to take a look at an article we published a number of years ago in the Planning Commissioners Journal:

Community Noise: Dealing With A Growing Problem
by James P. Cowan

Noise is a problem facing most of our communities, but one that can be dealt with through an effective and enforceable noise control ordinance.