In July 1991, Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E), was contracted by The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation, Inc. (INGAA), to review noise legislation and investigate noise-control techniques that apply to the natural gas transmission industry. Data collected were to be summarized and made available to INGAA member firms for use as a handbook to assist them with noise-related decision-making matters.
E & E began the project by contacting agencies responsible for noise-control policy in the lower 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A summary of applicable regulations is provided in Section 2 of this handbook.
The next task was the collection of information concerning noisesource specification and control technology. This information is presented in Section 3.
To obtain a more realistic idea of problems experienced by the gas industry in attaining specific noise levels, as well as to determine what types and techniques of noise control are in use by the industry, E & E prepared a questionnaire, which was distributed by INGAA to its members. The form queried members on these stated concerns; a summary of the responses obtained is presented in Section 4.
Terminology used in discussions of noise regulation and control is defined in Appendix A. A bibliography containing noise-control reference material is presented in Appendix B. State noise regulations are provided in Appendix C.
