This document has been approved for general availability. It doas not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Ftw Ale bJ tbe Baperlntendent of Doeamenta, U.S. OOTernment Prlntlnc OIBce, WubJncton, D.C. 21M02 ·Price *1.96 FOREWORD The Noise Control Act of 1972 requires that the Administrator of The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and publish criteria with respect to noise. These criteria are to "reflect the scientific kno~ledge most useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identi- fiable effects of noise on the public health and welfare which may be expected from differing quantities and qualities of noise." This document meets that requirement. The terms "criteria and standards" are generally used interchangeably in the scientific communities concerned with noise and its control. However, in accordance with the intent of the U.S. Congress, criteria for environmental pollutants are to reflect an honest appraisal of available knowledge relating to health and welfare effects of pollutants, (in this case, noise). The criteria are descriptions of cause and effect relationships. Standards and regulations must take into account not only the health and welfare considerations described in the criteria, but also, as called for in the Noise Control Act of 1972, technology, and cost of control. This criteria document, therefore, serves as a basis for the establishment of the recommended envir- onmental noise level goals to be related to the "Effects Document" called for by Section 5(a)(2) of the Noise Control Act. That document, along with this criteria document, will become the basis for standards…Open full document
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Office of Noise Abatement and Control