Environmental Noise Assessment
Why is environmental noise assessment necessary?
Noise refers to unwanted and disturbing sounds of any kind present in the air environment that cause discomfort, affect hearing, and interfere with acoustic communication.
Environmental noise assessment must be carried out to determine the existing noise level in the company’s area and the noise emissions generated by the company itself. Depending on the specifics of the production process, the assessment is based on the noise-generating equipment and/or processes present in the company. If necessary, physical noise measurements must also be performed by an accredited laboratory or an institution equipped with specialized measuring devices.
How is an environmental noise assessment carried out?
Our experience working with manufacturing companies shows that currently there is a growing trend in the requirements set by the State Environmental Service: more and more often, manufacturing companies are being required to carry out an assessment of the noise generated by their operations.
Even when reviewing a pollution permit where the planned changes do not foresee a significant increase in noise emissions, it is often the case that a noise assessment is still required, even if it was not previously demanded.
The evaluation of noise sources must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of Cabinet Regulation No. 16 “Procedure for the Assessment and Management of Noise”.
Noise modeling is performed using the CadnaA (Computer Aided Noise Abatement) software, which is recognized by the State Environmental Service. This program incorporates and applies the current noise assessment standards in force in Latvia.
