As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AMBIENT SOUND The intrinsic sounds that occur in a community without significant measureable effects of normal community sounds, natural environmental sounds, or intrusive noise.
COMBINED NOISE LEVELS (CNLs) When multiple incoherent intrusive noise sources occur simultaneously on one or more real source property(ies), the combined noise level of all intrusive noise sources will be used to determine compliance with the four intrusive noise level limits at the real receiving property(ies). The additive combined effect of these incoherent sources is computed by:
Where: |
| Lpt | = | Total sound-pressure level (or sound level), in dB (dBA). |
| Lp1 | = | Sound-pressure level of first source (or sound level), in dB (dBA). |
| Lp2 | = | Sound-pressure level of second source (or sound level), in dB (dBA). |
| Lpn | = | Sound-pressure level of "nth" source (or sound level), in dB (dBA). |
| Po | = | Standard reference pressure of 20 micropascals. |
COMPLIANCE METRICS (CMs) The combined acoustic metrics of the LEQ, LMAX, LPK, and LPTL, which are simultaneously measured during the same interval during a single period. These acoustic metrics are the equivalent continuous sound level (LEQ), A-weighted fast-response maximum sound level (LMAX), unweighted peak, sound-pressure level (LPK), and unweighted narrow-band pure-tone level (LPTL). The acoustic reference is 20 micropascals using either the RMS or peak, as appropriate.
COMPRESSORS AND BLOWERS (1) Devices used to move fluids, especially gaseous fluids. Typical devices include but are not limited to reciprocating, lobe, roots, screw, and related ones.
(2) Devices used to intake or exhaust, extract, or move fluids, air, fumes, and gases. Typical applications include but are not limited to compressors and blowers of buildings, factories, industrial plants, mine ventilation, radiators, bag houses, and related similar uses.
CONSTRUCTION Will include but not be limited to any site preparation, assembly, erection, demolition, substantial repair, maintenance, alteration or similar action for or of housing or other structures, public or private rights-of-way, structures, utilities, or similar property, including grading or contouring terrain for buildings and public and private roads. Site preparation will include that of electrical substations, sewage plants, water treatment plants, oil and gas development, mine development and to include but not be limited to related short-term work. The time duration of construction will be limited to that defined by the permit of the issuing authority, whether local, county, state or federal agency.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT Equipment used during construction or demolition, including but not limited to heavy trucks, pay loaders, tractors, power shovels, air compressors, cranes, graders, jackhammers, hammers, nail guns, conveyors, concrete and cement mixers, generators, welders and drilling rigs.
DAYTIME HOURS The hours between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays; the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
DECIBEL A unit of level when the base of the logarithm is the tenth root of 10 and the quantities concerned are proportional to power; unit symbol, "dB."
dBA A unit of A-weighted sound level; the weighted sound-pressure level by the use of the A-metering characteristic and weighting specified in ANSI Specifications for Sound Level Meters.
DOMESTIC POWER EQUIPMENT (DPE) Equipment that includes but is not limited to equipment driven by batteries, electric motors, air-driven motors, internal-combustion engines, or other sources of power-driven equipment that is used for household and residential applications. DPE includes, by way of example but not limited to, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, lawn and garden tractors, tillers, chainsaws, drills, saws, impact wrenches, portable residential generators, portable pumps, trimmers, power washers, snowblowers, leaf and related blowers, mulchers, chippers, leaf vacuums, and related equipment.
EMERGENCY WORK Any work that is performed or required to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity, work required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger, or work by private or public utilities for providing or restoring immediately necessary utility service.
EQUIPMENT Any stationary or portable device or any part thereof capable of generating sound or noise that could exceed the intrusive noise level limits based on a combination of both level and time duration.
EVENT Not-for-profit events sponsored by nonprofit organizations or community groups and others, as appropriate. Events will include but are not limited to school games, school sports, church bazaars, and community fairs. The normal sounds which are not excessively loud associated with these events will include but are not limited to cheering crowds, bands, referee whistles, nonamplified music and similar sounds.
EXCESSIVELY LOUD NOISE SOURCES (1) This will include people or equipment.
(2) Any equipment that is louder than normal for equipment of the same type, especially for identical equipment of the same make and model that is in good working order, by example but not limited to domestic power equipment, farm equipment, portable generators, standby emergency generators, pumps, or construction equipment with a defective muffler, and HVAC equipment, including those with bad bearings or squealing belts.
(3) Also people's voices or sounds/noises made by them, which are louder than necessary for the situation. By example: loud or rowdy parties, gathering of groups of people where voices or sounds/noises made by them are louder than reasonably necessary for the situation.
EXISTING EQUIPMENT Any equipment, apparatus, and/or device that has existed, has been installed or used, and has been in operation on the real source property before enactment of this chapter. This applies to ones that are permanently installed, movable, or portable. This will include but not be limited to existing domestic, power equipment and existing HVAC equipment. By example, residential, commercial, industrial and other equipment will include but not be limited to fans of all types, air conditioners of all types, rooftop- and ground-level condensing units, gas- or electric-powered lawnmowers and weed trimmers, leaf blowers, lawn and garden tractors, generators, motors and engines, chainsaws, fluid compressors of all types, fluid regulating valves, and all, devices of any type that are capable of producing sound or noise that exceeds the intrusive noise level limits based on a combination of both level and time of duration.
FANS Devices used to move gaseous fluids, normally but not limited to air and fumes. Typical devices include but are not limited to centrifugal fans, propeller fans, and axial vane fans. Devices, which are normally fans, are used to intake or exhaust, extract, or move air, fumes, and gases. Typical applications include but are not limited to fans of buildings, factories, industrial plants, mine ventilation, radiators, restaurants, household window units, and bag houses, and related similar uses.
FARM LIVESTOCK Farm animals, to include but not limited to cows, horses, and pigs, kept on a farm located on agricultural land or other land as authorized by the Zoning Ordinance.
FARM FOWL Fowl, to include but not limited to chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks. Fowl will kept on a farm located on agricultureal land or other land as authorized by the Zoning Ordinance.
FAST RESPONSE The nominal exponential averaging time of 1/8 second as measured with a sound-level meter that complies with ANSI standards.
FREQUENCY For a function periodic in time, the reciprocal of the period; Unit, hertz (Hz).
HARMONIC Sinusoidal quantity that has a frequency which is an integral multiple of the frequency of the periodic quantity to which it is related.
HVAC EQUIPMENT Commercial and residential heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment as part of a closed-loop system that includes air handlers, compressors, condensing units, chillers, and residential air conditioners.
INTERVAL A one-minute interval where the compliance metrics of LEQ, LMAX, LPK, and LPTL are simultaneously measured.
INTRUSIVE NOISE (IN) Noise exceeding the normal ambient sound of the community without the significant measureable effects of normal community sounds and natural environment sounds. Intrusive noise includes but it is not limited to excessively loud voices of individuals or groups of people, amusement parks, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, commercial sport activities, car racing, fans of all types, compressors and blowers of all types, HVAC equipment, firecrackers, backup alarms of nonlicensed vehicles, bulldozers, payloaders, graders, material moving equipment, compressor-driven engines and motors and their radiator fan, mine ventilation fans, paging systems, standby generators, baghouse fans, gas flaring, gearboxes, electric motors, reciprocating engines, gas turbines, including their exhaust and turbine body noise, excessively loud condenser fans, excessively loud music, excessively loud stereo equipment, rowdy crowds, excessively loud parties, model airplanes and cars, excessively loud domestic power equipment, excessively loud commercial and residential HVAC, and related items. Intrusive noise does not include natural environmental sounds or normal community sounds.
INTRUSIVE NOISE SOURCE (INS) A noise source that occurs on a real source property, RSP, or other location on either public or private property, that causes intrusive noise to occur on any real receiving property, RRP, either private or public property. "Intrusive noise source" shall also mean the combined noise level, CNL, of more than one source located on one real source property or public property that generates intrusive noise on a real receiving property. By example, the CCE could be many HVAC sources on the roof of a single building or several buildings, or many sources distributed throughout the property of a single industrial plant, or many of them, that impact on a real receiving property.
LOG AVERAGE LEVEL (LAL) (1) The logarithmic average for each of the four compliance metrics consisting of the equivalent continuous level (LEQ), maximum sound level (LMAX), peak sound-pressure level (LPK) and PTL (LPTL), where LXX represents either the LEQ, LMAX, LPK, and/or LPTL. The log average level is computed for each of the compliance metrics by:
|
|
Where: |
| Lxx | = | Log average level in dBA or dB. |
| Lx1 | = | Level of the first measurement in dBA or dB from the first interval. |
| Lx2 | = | Level of second measurement in dBA or dB from the second interval. |
| Lxn | = | Level of the "nth" measurement in dBA or dB from the nth interval. |
| n | = | The number of measurement intervals that is greater or equal to 20. |
| Pc | = | Standard reference pressure of 20 micropascals. |
(2) The four log average levels using 20 or more intervals from a single period are:
(a) Log average Level One (LAL1): the log average level of the LEQ.
(b) Log average Level Two (LAL2): the log average level of the LMAX.
(c) Log average Level Three (LAL3): the log average level of the LPK.
(d) Log average Level Four (LAL4): the log average level of the LPTL.
MINING DEVELOPMENT Site development for a commercial mine and its related facilities that includes but is not limited to site preparation, mine site construction of a reasonable and limited duration and the installation of equipment and apparatus that will be needed to operate the mine. This will include site preparation and restoration.
MINING OPERATIONS The ongoing operation of a mine of any type that is producing the product, such as coal, gravel, sand, and other raw materials, and the related transportation by haul truck, rail car, or conveyor to a storage facility on site or off site. Operations and equipment used for operations will entail but are not to be limited to the use of material handling conveyors, material processing plants, stockpile operations, mine ventilation fans, fans of all types, haul trucks, bulldozers, graders, pay loaders, preparation plants, and any or all potentially noisy apparatus used for the ongoing production of raw materials that might exceed the intrusive noise level limits. Operations will include normal maintenance and the movement of vehicles and construction-type equipment on the site or to and from the site. Devices or equipment remotely located from the site will be included in mine operations. This will include but not be limited to conveyors and mine ventilation fans. Equipment and facilities used for the operation of deep coal mines, strip mines of all types, river dredging, sand and gravel mines, and all other mining types are subject to the intrusive noise level limits.
MOTORCYCLE Any motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground. The term shall include motorized bicycles, motor scooters, mopeds and the like.
MOTOR VEHICLE Any vehicle that is self-propelled, used primarily for transporting persons or property upon public highways and required to be licensed under Pennsylvania law.
MUFFLER A device which is effective in reducing the sound or noise of a fluid flow in, by way of example, but not limited to reciprocating engines, regulating valves, fans, pumps, compressors, turbine engines, and related items. The term "muffler" shall be construed to include silencers.
NARROW-BAND ANALYSIS Measurements made with dynamic analyzers, normally using the Fast Fourier Transform Algorithm, to decompose a time signal into its frequency components of level versus frequency consisting of a spectrum level with a resolution of 1 Hz or less. Typical measurement setups use Hanning Windows, at least 1 Hz resolution and preferably 1/8 Hertz resolution, and enough ensemble averages to measure the magnitudes of pure tones, if they exist, or the components of a line spectrum displayed as a spectrum level.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS (NES) Environmental sounds that are inherent to the community and are due to naturally occurring sounds that include but are not limited to insects, rustling leaves, wind generated sound, wild birds, wild animals, frogs, rain, lighting, or weather. NES shall not be construed to include the noise of domesticated animals or excessively loud sounds of a person.
NIGHTTIME HOURS The hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays; the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
NOISE LIMIT 1 (NL1) The equivalent continuous sound level, in dBA, that is not to be exceeded for a given zoning district for a particular time of day as specified in Table I of the intrusive noise level limits.
NOISE LIMIT 2 (NL2) The A-weighted fast response maximum sound level that is not to exceed the magnitude of the reference equivalent continuous sound level of the intrusive noise level limits by more than 10 dBA for a given zoning district for a particular time as specified in the intrusive noise level limit of Table 1.
NOISE LIMIT 3 (NL3) The unweighted peak sound-pressure level that is not to exceed the decibel value of the reference equivalent continuous sound level of the intrusive noise level limit by more than 20 dB for a given zoning district for a particular time.
NOISE LIMIT 4 (NL4) A pure-tone level, in dB, whose magnitude at a specific frequency is 10 points below the pure-tone level curve for the reference equivalent continuous sound level for the zone and time of day. PTL decibel magnitudes for the specific tonal frequency will be based on linear interpolation of the PTL curve values for the two nearest octave-band center frequencies.
NORMAL COMMUNITY SOUND (NCS) Sounds that are inherent to the community and consistent with the norms of this community, and are an integral part of the normal community environment, and are ones that the average resident would reasonably expect to occur in their community assuming they are not excessively loud. Typical community sounds occurring at reasonable and not excessively loud levels may include but are not limited to children playing, occasional dog barks, domestic power equipment, residential HVAC equipment, and other related sounds. These include but are not limited to reasonable transportation sounds that meet state, federal, and local noise requirements and limits. Sounds covered by the special provisions of this chapter are subject to the strict conditions of those provisions.
OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT Site development for a commercial oil and gas well and its related facilities that includes but is not limited to site preparation, well site construction of a reasonable and limited duration, drilling of the oil or gas well, hydraulic fracturing of the oil or gas well, installation of equipment and apparatus that will be needed to operate the well, as well as site restoration. The construction of compressor stations and gas-processing facilities will be part of the development phase. Equipment and apparatus will include but not be limited to compressors, engines and/or motors, storage tanks, metering devices, pipe installation for transmission to storage facilities or transportation pipeline, and any other equipment associated with a drilling operation.
OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS The ongoing operation of an oil or gas well and associated facilities that are used in the production of oil and gas and the related transportation of the products, to include but not be limited to storage facilities that are on or off site and/or transportation pipelines. Operations will entail but are not limited to the use of compressors of all types; engines, especially those used to drive compressors; electric motors, especially those used to drive compressors; cooling equipment for both the prime mover and the intercooling stages including their fans; regulating valves; noisy pipes, especially whose fluid is being excited by a valve or compressor; pumps, and other equipment, devices, or apparatus used for the ongoing production of oil and gas along with their byproducts. Operations will include normal maintenance and the movement of vehicles and construction type equipment on the site or to and from the site. Devices or equipment remotely located from the site will be included in oil and gas operations. This will include but not be limited to fluid-pressure-boosting equipment and regulating valves.
PERSON An individual, partnership, public or private association or corporation, firm, trust, estate, Municipality, governmental unit, public utility or any other legal entity whatsoever that is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
PERIOD A single, twenty-four-hour period during which compliance measurements are made to determine if the noise level limits are being exceeded by the collective log average levels.
PROPERTY BOUNDARY An imaginary line on the real receiving property, with a vertical extension of that line above and below the surface of the property at all elevations, that separates the intrusive noise source or the combined noise level of more than one intrusive noise source from the real source property. The property boundary can be associated with either the source property or the receiving property when the two properties are not defined by a common property boundary. "Property" will mean both private and public property, whereas the intrusive noise source may be on private property and affecting public property or it may be on public property and affecting private property. "Property boundary" will be understood to be the line that separates any intrusive noise source at any elevation from any receiver location on a real receiving property or public property.
PURE TONE The magnitude and frequency of a noise occurring at a discrete frequency as determined by an Fast Fourier Transform measurement (narrow-band analysis) of the noise with a dynamic analyzer using at least 1 Hz and preferably 1/8 Hz resolution, a Hanning window, and sufficient averaging to determine the magnitude of the pure tone level that is exceeded 5% of the time (also referred to as the "exceedance rate of Ls").
PURE TONE LEVEL (LPTL) The magnitude of a discrete-frequency noise or sound, a pure tone, expressed in decibels with a reference of 20 micropascals.
PURE TONE LEVEL CURVE CRITERIA (PTLCC) The series of curves defined in table 1 consisting of octave band center frequency in Hertz (Hz) versus pure-tone level in unweighted decibels (dB).
| Octave Band Center Frequency (Hz) |
---|
Pure-Tone Level | 16 | 32 | 63 | 125 | 250 | 500 | 1000 | 2000 | 4000 | 8000 |
---|
PTL70 (dB) | 101 | 96 | 91 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 72 | 68 | 64 | 60 |
PTL65 (dB) | 96 | 91 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 71 | 67 | 63 | 59 | 55 |
PTL60 (dB) | 91 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 71 | 66 | 62 | 58 | 54 | 50 |
PTL55 (dB) | 86 | 81 | 76 | 71 | 66 | 61 | 57 | 53 | 49 | 45 |
PTL50 (dB) | 81 | 76 | 71 | 66 | 61 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 44 | 40 |
PTL45 (dB) | 79 | 74 | 68 | 62 | 56 | 51 | 47 | 43 | 39 | 35 |
PTL40 (dB) | 78 | 71 | 64 | 58 | 51 | 46 | 42 | 38 | 34 | 30 |
PTL35 (dB) | 76 | 69 | 61 | 54 | 46 | 41 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 25 |
PTL30 (dB) | 74 | 66 | 58 | 49 | 41 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
PTL25 (dB) | 73 | 64 | 54 | 45 | 36 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 15 |
PTL20 (dB) | 71 | 61 | 51 | 41 | 31 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 10 |
PTL15 (dB) | 69 | 59 | 48 | 37 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 5 |
PTL10 (dB) | 68 | 56 | 44 | 33 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
REAL RECEIVING PROPERTY (RRP) The real property impacted by intrusive noise. The receiver location affected by intrusive noise can occur anywhere on the real receiving property at any elevation occurring within or on the property or the boundary of it.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES Off-road motor- and engine-driven vehicles, recreational boats, and recreational aircraft, motorcycles used off road, licensed or unlicensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Recreational vehicles include but are not limited to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs); dirt motorcycles; dune buggies; personal watercraft; snowmobiles; ultra-light aircraft; stock and race cars, whether used off or on tracks or race courses; and racing, endurance or motocross motorcycles, whether, used on or off tracks or race courses.
REAL PROPERTY An interest or aggregate of rights in land that is guaranteed and protected by law. For purposes of this chapter, the term "real property" includes a leasehold interest.
RECEIVER LOCATION Any point on the real receiving property (RRP) at any elevation. The receiver location will include any point within or on the property boundaries at any elevation that is at, above, or below ground level. The receiver location does not have to be the point nearest to the source location. Normally enforcement measurements will be made at any location on the RRP that is needed to determine noncompliance with this chapter for any locations adversely affected by the intrusive noise, normally but not limited to people on the RRP.
REAL SOURCE PROPERTY (RSP) Any real property containing a noise source or which collectively contains more than one significant noise source whose collective effect is to generate intrusive noise that affects any real receiving property by crossing any property boundary that separates the two properties. This boundary does not necessarily have to be a common boundary for the two properties. The crossing may occur at any elevation, which can be at, above, or below ground level.
SHORT-TERM CONSTRUCTION The required time to complete the immediate project which has been undertaken where progress is ongoing with a reasonable completion date from the start of the project. An example would be repair of a utility line.
SHORT-TERM EVENT The required time for the immediate event which is ongoing and of a temporary nature, such as few hours, days or a week.
SITE DEVELOPMENT Any man-made change to a tract of land, including paving, utilities, filling, grading, excavating, mining, dredging or drilling operations.
SOUND See ANSI terminology S1.1-1994, Item 3.01.
SOURCE LOCATION The location, which can be stationary or moving, of an intrusive noise source that transmits intrusive noise to any receiver location on a real receiving property.
SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE Any vehicle designed and used primarily for grading, paving, earthmoving, and other construction work; and that is not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property on a public highway; and that is only incidentally operated or moved over the highway.
TRANSPORTATION NOISE Sound generated by motorized modes of transportation lawfully operating on public roads, railroad rights-of-way, commercial waterways, or controlled airspace. The noises of these lawful modes of transportation are covered by the appropriate agencies. Transportation noise does not include noise generated by recreational vehicles.
WARNING DEVICE Any device intended to provide public warning of potentially hazardous, emergency or illegal activities, including but not limited to a commercial, residential or vehicle burglar alarm, regulated and licensed motor vehicle equipped with a backup signal, fire alarms, law enforcement and fire vehicles and similar devices.
WEEKDAY Any day, Monday through Friday, that is not a legal holiday.
WEEKEND The days of Saturday and Sunday or any legal holiday.
WINDSCREEN A porous device used to cover the microphone of a sound-level meter to suppress the effect of air movement over the microphone that causes false sound/noise.