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23 Iyar 5765 - June 1, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
That Earsplitting Racket

by N. Katzin

Thought it was just your imagination? Well, it's not. Israel is loud compared to other countries. A study conducted by the Ministry of the Environment two years ago found that Israelis are second only to Japan on the noise scale. "We are a society that lives under high-volume conditions," says Dr. Stilian Galberg, head of the Department for Noise and Radiation Prevention at the Ministry of the Environment.

Is a game of catch played by shouting children defined as noise? What about music at medium volume? A rattling air conditioner the neighbors have to endure? How do we define at what level noise becomes a nuisance?

What is considered disturbing is obviously a subjective matter. The "disturbance threshold" varies from one individual to the next and depends not just on the noise level and the duration of exposure, which can both be measured, but also on factors such as age, the degree of involvement in the experience, the type of noise and its location.

Nevertheless, there are objective definitions for noise levels that are disturbing or are liable to pose a health hazard. According to the Ministry of the Environment, noise above 60 decibels is considered disturbing. Noise above 65 decibels is considered noise that harms the quality of life. Above 70 decibels is considered damaging and 95 decibels for a period of 30 minutes or more causes real damage!

To get an idea of what these numbers mean, the hearing threshold is 0 decibels. A whisper is 20 decibels. Normal conversation is 70 decibels. Noise from a vehicle registers at 80-85 decibels and a motorcycle reaches 90 decibels. This level of noise causes a feeling of genuine discomfort.

The noise in simchah halls can be as high as 95-100 decibels, depending on the placement of the orchestra and the acoustics in the facility. Secular youths in their entertainment spots are exposed to noise levels of 100-120 decibels—similar to standing in close proximity to a plane during takeoff or artillery fire.

Israel has a relatively high sensitivity to noise pollution and its legislation is considered among the most progressive in the world. A law on the books since 1961 prohibits causing strong or unreasonable noise that disturbs or is liable to disturb people in close proximity to the source of the noise.

Who decides what is "unreasonable noise?" Toward this end, there are regulations set by the Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Safety and Hygiene. Unreasonable noise is defined in the regulations according to five different types of buildings, taking into account the duration of the noise and the time of day (mainly whether it is 6:00 am to 10:00 p.m., or 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 am).

The definition depends on several factors: The location of the noise — The permitted noise level in residential areas is not the same as the permitted noise level in commercial or industrial areas. The source of the noise — Some types of noise are banned outright, such as loudspeakers in residential areas. Other types of noise cannot be prohibited, such as loud conversation inside the home. Duration — Some noises might be considered reasonable for a short time but if they continue they will turn into a prohibited disturbance. Time of day — Obviously most of the conventional noises that are not disruptive by day and are even necessary (e.g. clearing garbage bins) constitute a disturbance by night.

What can one do in the event of noise pollution? The law is already on the books; the real problem, as usual, is inadequate enforcement. The bodies in charge of controlling noise from highways, airports, etc. are the Ministry of the Environment, the Local Authority and the Department of Public Works (e.g. building acoustic walls).

Police are authorized and obligated to handle noise complaints in residential areas but as everyone knows, they are too busy to take care of such matters. Also, it may be a halachic sheila if one may call police for things like this. There are established legal channels to address noise complaints and policemen are authorized to give fines on the spot.

Legislation is also in the works to impose restrictions on noise levels at wedding and event halls to protect guests and visitors from "coercive noise." Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.

According to M. Roginsky of the Department for Noise Prevention, a joint professional committee she headed with members from the Ministry of the Environment and the local authorities issued recommendations and regulations on this issue. One of the committee's recommendation's was to require hall owners to install sound gauges that would automatically disconnect the amplification system if the volume exceeds the level determined by law. Installing a sound gauge would be a condition for granting a business license. The regulations are currently stuck in the Justice Ministry, which is slow in approving them and thus sparing the public from noise.

The Ministry of the Environment points to a variety of ways to prevent excess noise, starting in the planning stage. For example before laying a road or building an airport project, managers must order a survey of environmental effects, including a noise assessment. Advanced building standards can guarantee a high level of acoustic insulation. Standards for electrical appliances such as washing machines and air conditioners limit the amount of noise, or at least require the manufacturer to inform the consumer how much noise the appliance makes.

The noise level can be reduced but the longed-for peace and quiet will come only when the "human factor" learns to show consideration for the neighbors.

Existing Regulations

The following are a few of the more useful legal regulations for the individual citizen:

* While driving on city streets, do not honk except in case of immediate danger.

* Do not sing, shout, or turn up the volume on the radio, tape or CD player from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 am in residential areas in the following places: outside, in structures that are not fully enclosed, or in residential buildings.

* The law exempts the following times from these limitations: celebrations on Purim Night, Independence Day (lehavdil), the eve of rest days, and following rest days until midnight.

* Operating construction equipment in residential areas is strictly prohibited between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and on rest days, unless the machinery is urgently required to prevent a safety hazard or a public disturbance. Repair and renovation work may not be carried out (or permitted to be carried out) in residential buildings from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 am.

* Trash bins, storage containers, casks, gas containers, etc., should not be moved in a manner that is liable to create noise, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and on rest days.

* In residential areas, loudspeakers should not be used to promote sales, services or performances, or to make announcements.

* When installing an alarm system in a vehicle: the alarm should not continue for more than one minute at a time and not more than a total of three minutes during any five-minute period. Afterwards, the alarm should stop sounding automatically and not start again. The alarm system may not exceed a noise level of 87 decibels, at a distance of one meter from the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for the system's proper operation and its immediate shutdown in the event of malfunction. The owner of a vehicle with an alarm system must display a sign in one of the windows listing the name and phone number of someone he authorizes to take care of the alarm.

 

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