Barriers to Community Input to Noise Policy Decisions—Two Case Studies

This paper describes how any future noise policy, whether it represents an incremental or substantial change, should be informed by problems with our current, fragmented, and ineffective noise policy. This paper explores one problematic area: the barriers to public participation in noise related decisions and it follows two sincere efforts to participate in the public decision-making process regarding noise. Based on Noise Pollution Clearinghouse's anecdotal evidence, these case studies are typical of about half the interactions the public has with policy-making bodies. They are by no means unusual or extreme. The conclusion reached in this paper is that the barriers to public participation are primarily ethical and structural. Adhering to the Golden Rule is suggested as a solution to these problems. Moreover, the best way to eliminate these barriers is for people with character within policy-making bodies to stand up and say that the behavior described in this paper is wrong and that they will not be part of it, and for structures to be created to ensure fairness in decision-making processes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Noise Control Engineering

  Iowa State University, 210 Marston Hall
  Ames, IA  United States  50011-2153

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Blomberg, Les
• Conference:
  • Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering
  • Location: Baltimore Maryland, United States
  • Date: 2004-7-12 to 2004-7-14
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 394-405
• Monograph Title: Noise-Con 04. The 2004 National Conference on Noise Control Engineering

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Community action programs; Decision making; Noise; Noise barriers; Noise sources; Policy; Policy making; Sound transmission
• Uncontrolled Terms: Community development
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Policy; Society; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054170
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 24 2007 10:56AM