NOISE
Noise, a by-product of urbanization and industrialization, is
increasingly recognized as an environmental nuisance affecting basic
human health and well being. Scientific advances in noise assessment and
modelling allow prevention of noise nuisances; this is much simpler, and
usually less expensive, than attempting to alleviate noise problems
after the fact. Israel therefore has made noise considerations an
important element in assessment of development proposals, and in
preparation of land-use plans.
Sources of Noise Pollution
- Motor Vehicle Noise
By far the greatest source of noise in urban areas is motor vehicles.
Traffic noise is a chronic rather than an acute noise source, as it
reaches levels high enough and persistent enough to disturb
concentration and relaxation, but not high enough to cause physical
damage to hearing. Proper traffic management (direction of flow, street
plan, number and location of traffic lights and stop signs) can decrease
noise considerably. Noise is invariably taken into consideration in the
planning of new roads, but for older, existing roads, noise reduction is
more problematic.
The type, age, maintenance level and quantity of vehicles also affect
the level of noise. New vehicles purchased in Israel must meet noise
regulations; but older cars (and new ones, once they leave the showroom)
are not subject to any noise requirements even though annual
inspection and licensing are obligatory. Buses and trucks constructed in
Israel are rarely checked for noise levels. In Israel, the problem of
automobile noise is exacerbated by the relatively old age of vehicles
and by the high price of spare parts, which cause car owners to postpone
maintenance.
The Ministry of Transportation has published regulations limiting noise
from automobile engines, horns and mufflers, but the regulations are not
specific enough to be effectively enforced. More recently, the Ministry
of the Environment decided to adopt vehicle noise reduction standards
based on recommendations of the OECD, modified to suit conditions in
Israel.
In a socio-acoustic study of noise pollution, conducted by the
Environmental Protection Service in the Tel Aviv area, 52.5% of
respondents considered noise to be the major disadvantage of their
residential area, significantly higher than any other single
disadvantage. Despite this, only 20.1% of those questioned pinpointed
noise as an environmental problem they would seek to rectify, and only
9.3% had ever taken steps to complain about vehicular noise.
- Air Traffic Noise
Israel's major airport, Ben Gurion International, is located near
densely populated areas. Noise from airplanes taking off and landing was
one element studied in the socio-acoustic survey performed by the
Environmental Protection Service. Forty-one percent of respondents
living in the vicinity of Ben Gurion International Airport said they
were either "disturbed" or "very disturbed" by aircraft noise. It was
found that residents' subjective perceptions did not correlate with
objective data up to a level of 80dB(A), but that at a level of 85dB(A)
or over, 80% considered themselves "disturbed" or "very disturbed".
Eilat airport also constitutes a noise nuisance, but plans have been
drawn to remove it from its current location within the city limits. At
Herzliya's domestic airport, noise problems precipitated regulations
forbidding use of the airport before 6:30 a.m.; now pilot training is
still conducted from the airport, but crop dusting, which once
constituted a large portion of the airport's activity, is based
elsewhere (aerial spraying must be done early in the morning). Relative
to its size, Israel has a large number of military airfields, some of
them near densely populated areas. On the basis of recently obtained
information, noise maps for military airports are being prepared to
serve as a foundation for land-use planning. Although Israel has adopted
the International Civil Aviation Organization's recommendations with
respect to aircraft noise, regulations have not yet been promulgated to
permit enforcement.
- Industrial Noise
Industrial noise is controlled by regulating the total ambient noise
level throughout the workplace, or providing protection for those
workers who are exposed to excessive noise. Maximum noise levels are set
by the Safety at Work Ordinance at 85dB for an eight hour exposure
period. However, no law exists requiring factory equipment to meet noise
specification standards. Industrial noise may damage hearing and
psychological well-being, and may increase the risk of other industrial
accidents. Approximately 400,000 Israeli workers (33% of the industrial
work force) are exposed to excessive noise as defined by the law.
Hearing impairment is the second most common occupational disease in
compensation claims to the National Insurance Institute.
Construction noise in urban areas is also a major environmental problem.
Regulations exist setting standards for performance and design of
construction machinery to limit noise. Construction workers involved in
ground-clearing and excavation may suffer gradual, permanent hearing
loss.
- Other Urban Sources
In Israel's mild Mediterranean climate, families spend a great deal of
time out of doors; when in their homes, they often leave the windows
open. Thus residential noise generated by televisions, stereos, alarms
and conversations constitutes an important factor in noise pollution.
Other residential noise comes from air conditioners and fans.
Planning to Prevent Noise Problems
The Ministry of the Environment advises the national, district, and
local planning authorities on the use of noise abatement measures in
land-use planning and building. When required, environmental impact
statements are presented to District Planning Commissions along with
plans for roads or junctions. The Ministry of the Environment employs a
model which forecasts the distribution and intensity of noise impacts
from predicted traffic flow, and evaluates the effectiveness of
alternative measures to reduce noise impact. Even minor changes in the
routing of a proposed road may alleviate noise problems from the outset;
after the route is fixed, acoustic screens (based on U.S. Federal
Highway Administration models) or treatment of residences may be
required.
Sophisticated models exist for the evaluation of aircraft noise. The
Ministry of the Environment employs the model developed by the U.S.
Federal Aviation Authority, which uses three parameters to measure the
level of exposure: noise level in decibels; number of flights during the
day; number of flights at night (the latter weighted more heavily than
the former). The resulting unit of measurement is called Day-Night
Leverage (LDN). The ministry's guidelines using this model recommend
that construction be limited where sound levels exceed 65 LDN, and that
alternative sites be located for aviation facilities where sound levels
exceed this figure and noise-sensitive residential or institutional
areas are affected. Only when alternatives are unavailable is acoustic
treatment of buildings considered.
In 1986, the National Planning and Building Board approved in principle
a flexible plan for the operation of Ben Gurion Airport. The plan
provides maximum safety through air traffic control. It enables
efficient use of runways to avoid delays, and promotes cost-efficiency
for operators and aircraft. The plan also ensures minimum aircraft noise
and the prevention of environmental nuisances. The plan makes specific
suggestions for the areas surrounding the airport, and recommends the
adoption of regulations for noise-restriction according to the
guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which would
disallow the use of noisy aircraft like DC-8s and B707s. Pursuant to
this plan, a comprehensive noise monitoring system was established in
1991. It involves six monitoring stations, and includes a realtime data
collection system to monitor all noise activities within the airport,
and a central control and monitoring system to correlate noise events
with flight data.
Legal Framework for Prevention of Noise Pollution
Section 2 of the Abatement of Nuisances Law, 1961, provides that "a
person shall not cause any considerable or unreasonable noise, from any
source whatsoever, if it disturbs or is likely to disturb a person in
the vicinity." Regulations were issued pursuant to this law in 1966 to
restrict noise levels in residential neighborhoods at night and during
the noontime siesta. They forbid the use of a loudspeaker for
advertising in residential areas at all hours, and disallow the
operation of a vehicle with an improper muffler. In 1977, additional
regulations were promulgated, defining unreasonable noise as "permanent
or changing noise whose duration and measured level exceed the level
specified in one of the appended charts." The charts establish
permissible noise levels by type of neighborhood, time of day and
duration of noise. New regulations were added in 1990 to include types
of noise not covered by the initial regulations background noise,
impulsive noise, infrequent explosive noise and pure tones in the
spectrum (noise generated by aircraft, motor vehicles, trains or
construction equipment is not included). The regulations provide clear
guidelines for criteria and methods for the measurement of noise.
Recently, additional regulations have been drafted to control noise
caused by air conditioners and alarms and to set standards for railroad
noise. A 1992 amendment to the Abatement of Nuisances Law authorizes
police to take reasonable measures to shut off car alarms after the
alarm has been sounding for 20 minutes.
Where municipalities have adopted these Ministry of the Environment
regulations as by-laws, local government inspectors are able to add
their enforcement efforts to those of the national police.
Local environmental units are responsible for dealing with noise
complaints from the public against commercial enterprises. If unit
personnel find that noise exceeds permissible levels, local authorities
may require, as part of the licensing procedure, that noise be contained
within legal limits. The Ministry of the Environment assists local units
in the purchase of noise measurement equipment and the training of
personnel. A guidebook on noise assessment and noise abatement methods
has been prepared to provide the staff of local units as well as
planners and developers with the necessary tools for incorporating
means for noise abatement in the early stages of planning. Land
transport, air transport, stadiums, playgrounds, industrial
installations and quarries are covered in this guidebook.