32 C.F.R. § 650.169 Noise measurement standards.
Title 32 - National Defense
(a) Noise pollution control standards are applicable to both existing and new Army facilities. (b) Army facilities and activities will comply with applicable Federal, State, interstate and local noise standards unless a waiver is specifically obtained in accordance with §650.175. Where no applicable noise regulations and standards exist, installation commanders will minimize noise intrusions into areas surrounding the installations to prevent them from being a source of complaint. An EPA manual that provides general guidance in the absence of specific standards is listed in 15, table 7–1. (c) Measurements in decibels (dBA) should be used for measuring continuous sound levels from Army activities or facilities. For impulse noise such as weapons firing and explosives, the EPA has recommended dBC. (d) Environmental noise levels should be identified using an equivalent sound level description system known as Leq/Ldn. This new methodology supplements and replaces earlier techniques such as Composite Noise Ratings (CNR) and Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF). The basic reference is EPA Document 550/9–74–004, “Information on Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety,” March 1974. It is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Use will be made of this descriptor system in discussing noise implications in all Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). Other rating schemes may be used, but should be related to Leq/Ldn. Ldn is recommended by EPA for blast impulse noise on an interim basis pending further research and study.
Title 32: National Defense
PART 650—ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT (AR 200–1)
Subpart G—Environmental Noise Abatement
Standards and Procedures
§ 650.169 Noise measurement standards.
