Noise Pollution: What Is It?

Filed in archive Noise Pollution on May 18, 2010

© keeping it real

Noise pollution can be defined as any environmental noise that is distracting, harmful, or annoying. Anything can be the cause of the noise, garden machines, planes, cars, trucks, industrial machines, even trains.

A noise becomes polluting at the point that it becomes a problem. For most of us, the sound of a plane is not a distraction or annoyance; however, live under the flight path of a major airport and the constant drone of planes can be like a toothache that never goes away.

Many States have laws and by-laws that regulate the amount of noise that is acceptable, and, the time frame that the noise can be made. During the weekday, noise can be made from as early as 6:00 am and as late as 9:00 pm in some jurisdictions. The weekends though are different. That is when we are supposed to have an extra hour or so in bed, and sit out at night in summer months without the sound of other people's noise cutting through the evening breeze.

If you think you are going to do something that will cause a noise and potentially disturb your neighbors, check your local by-laws to make sure you are not breaking the law. Once you have done that, go and talk with your neighbors and let them know what your plans are, when the noise might occur, and, how long it will be happening.

Most people are OK when they know the noise is temporary.