How the DOE Deals with Noise Pollution

On Monday we brought you the story of an Evangelical church in Unitedville that has become a nuisance to the residents of that community because of the loud sound system they use to during their service. According to Marlenie de la Fuente, an environmental officer with the Department of the Environment, the law governing noise pollution differs from churches to clubs and night spots and residents who play loud music. And while de la Fuente says the best way to solve a dispute over noise pollution is the amicably, there are set measures in place that environmental officers abide by, including the use of decibel meters to measure the level of the noise being produced.

Marlenie de la Fuente

Marlenie de la Fuente, Environmental Officer, Department of Environment

“You go in, you do the inspection, you do the monitoring. If they’re above the threshold, you sit and speak to them about the law, you sit and speak to them about what measures can be done or put in place to reduce the noise leaving the establishment or the building and affecting the neighborhood. In our regulation, we have the noise abatement pollution (legislation). That piece of legislation establishes limits of equipment, the noise level of different equipment can emit into the environment. So it sets a threshold, depending on what kind of establishment it is, based on whether it’s day or night.”