Environmental Noise

Environmental Noise

Noise is one of the main factors with negative impact on population, being present as unwanted or harmful outer sound created by human activities, including emitted by road, rail and air transport, industrial plants and equipment or by local sources. The indicators of environmental noise are physical quantities, where the extent and limits of discomfort of citizens exposed to noise are taken in consideration when reported. After air pollution, the noise factor is essential for human health.

In the competence of the Ministry of Environment and Water are the policy measures to prevent and control noise from industrial sources, supporting at a national level by "Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Pollution Prevention" Directorate and at a regional level – by 16 Regional Inspectorates.

The Directorate operates in accordance with the EU and national legislation – Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise, Protection from Environmental Noise Act and regulations. The main activities regarding the policy are related to coordination with concerned departments on the activities of protection from environmental noise, as well as providing methodological guidance to the Executive Agency Environment and the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water regarding monitoring and control of environmental noise.

The main purpose of the monitoring of noise from industrial sources is to provide information about the acoustic environment status of settlements due to the activities of industrial enterprises – sources of noise emissions. In case of exceeding the limit values of the Ordinance on indicators of environmental noise, taking into account the degree of discomfort in different parts of the day, the limit values of noise indicators, the methods of assessing the performance levels of noise and the harmful effects of noise on health, mandatory instructions of the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water are being issued and execute control over their implementation is being carred out.

Preventive control is performed through the procedures of environmental impact assessment and integrated permits for installations and facilities for the categories of industrial activities, as all issued integrated permits include a condition “Noise” and contains measures to reduce and prevent environmental noise caused by the activities of industrial enterprises.