Does Mining Generate an Excessive Amount of Noise?
Noise pollution is regulated by the IEPA and noise levels are required to be in compliance with State law. In addition, mining operations are typically screened from the public view by earth berms, trees, etc. that provide more than adequate noise attenuation at the property boundaries. The IEPA does not require aggregate mining operations to obtain a noise pollution permit. Noise pollution concerns are seldom generated beyond the boundaries of the plant site. If this were a problem, the industry would see increased regulation from the Agency. Perception vs. RealityNoise as perceived by our brain is an amazing thing! Standing on your patio using a sound meter, a cricket just 10′ away is louder than a rock crusher 600′ away! This is because sound levels diminish as you increase distance from the source! But our brains still notice the rock crusher..Why?…. Well, it’s because our brains acknowledge the cricket as a “natural sound” that is supposed to be there and the rock crusher is a “
