Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services

Protecting humans and wildlife from excessive noise during construction or community events is not just an option, it’s a legal requirement of environmental regulations within California which often requires real-time or event Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services.

ECORP offers Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services for construction projects, industrial operations, commercial operations, community events, concerts, and more. Each of our analyses and mitigation recommendations is uniquely created to ensure that you are able to complete your project or host your event without exceeding noise limits.

What Is Real-Time Noise Monitoring and Mitigation?

California and National laws (CEQA and NEPA) and sometimes local regulations require noise analysis models to be created before a construction project begins. These are used to predict future noise levels from construction and the operations of the facility after construction.

However, some municipalities also require continual, real-time noise monitoring during construction or operations to ensure noise levels stay within the legally acceptable range.

When performing real-time noise monitoring, ECORP uses state-of-the-art technology including the Larson Davis Soundtrack LXT 1 Class 1 Sound Level Meter, which satisfies the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for general environmental noise measurement instrumentation. This ensures that all of our noise monitoring services and 3-dimensional noise models can be used to create legally defensible CEQA Noise Impact Assessments.

If noise levels violate the limits specified in the initial noise analysis model, noise mitigation measures can sometimes be implemented to reduce noise levels. In such cases, ECORP will recommend appropriate mitigation measures such as constructing sound barrier walls or reducing the total use of certain construction equipment at the time.

Construction Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services for Human Health

When noise or vibration reaches a certain point, it can cause hearing loss in humans as well as structural damage to homes and other buildings. Excessive noise also creates stress and annoyance within a community, interfering with people’s ability to sleep, speak, or engage in normal, daily activities. Real-time noise monitoring detects any excess as soon as it occurs. Once detected, ECORP can identify the causes of the excessive noise and recommend noise mitigation steps to be implemented. These are designed to protect human health and community well-being by ensuring that future noise from the project does not create a public health threat.

Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services for Wildlife Protection

In addition to protecting human health, ECORP’s continual, real-time noise monitoring is designed to protect wildlife, especially nesting birds, bats, and sensitive species.

Nesting Birds

Before any new construction can begin in the state of California, a Nesting Bird Management Plan (NBMP) must be created to identify and mitigate environmental threats to any nesting birds nearby the project site.

Part of the NBMP often includes a noise impact report to ensure noise created by construction or other activities associated with the project does not disturb nesting birds. In addition to creating NBMPs, ECORP also provides continual noise monitoring for the duration of the project to ensure noises remain within legal limits.

Bats

Bats can survive only in particular noise ranges, so whenever new construction takes place, noise levels must be carefully controlled to protect nearby bat populations.

One of our clients was going to demolish an old barn but found thousands of bats nesting inside. So, to protect the bats, the client had to create a new habitat for the bats but before the new habitat could be built, they used our noise monitoring services to measure noise levels in real-time to ensure they would be able to thrive in their new home.

What is Event Noise Monitoring and Mitigation?

In addition to continual, real-time noise monitoring, event organizers and coordinators must ensure that noise created during events does not disturb nearby residential communities or commercial centers. By performing event noise monitoring, ECORP identifies when event noise levels exceed legal limits and recommends proper noise mitigation methods as needed.

Both real-time and event noise monitoring are often conducted by placing sound meters around the fenceline or perimeter of a facility. As long as the noise monitors are in place, they can continuously record sound in real-time.

When events produce a lot of noise over a short period of time, fenceline monitoring helps project proponents understand the actual levels of noise being created on-site during an event and its effect on nearby commercial and residential areas.

If excessive noise levels exist at a project site based on the results of fenceline noise monitoring, ECORP designs, models, and implements noise mitigation strategies to bring the noise to legally permissible levels.

Continual, Realtime, and Event Noise Monitoring Services

As part of our Continual Realtime and Event Noise Monitoring Services, we provide:

In addition to real-time noise monitoring and mitigation services, ECORP also offers 3-dimensional noise modeling services using software to generate models of future noise levels caused by construction or new land-use operations. These models help to better quantify future unmitigated noise levels at certain areas around the perimeter of a proposed project site.

If these levels exceed the legal thresholds set by municipal General Plans, mitigation strategies can be designed and integrated into the 3-dimensional model to determine whether or not noise levels can be reduced to legally acceptable levels. The results of the conjoined noise monitoring and modeling services are used to create a Noise Impact Assessment in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

Noise levels at six locations around the project site were analyzed with potential increases in noise modeled with and without mitigation. By installing sound barriers, noise levels at locations 3 and 4 are mitigated to beneath legal thresholds.

Contact ECORP for Realtime and Event Noise Monitoring and Mitigation Services

ECORP provides continual, real-time and event noise monitoring services using the latest and most sophisticated noise monitoring technology. If you need real-time or event noise monitoring performed as part of your next project or event, contact the experts at ECORP today.