Noise Headlines and Top Story- Updated April 18, 2018

- NIOSH and OSHA Warn About Noise and Ototoxic Chemicals - Occupational Noise Linked with High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol  - Some Healthcare Workers at Greater Risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss  - Anti-Noise Group Promotes Agenda and Guidance - NHTSA Finalizes Compliance Date on Sound Level Rule for Quiet Vehicles - Report Documents Advances in Quieter Pavement Research and Development - New Hampshire Examines Feasibility of Noise Barriers  - Evidence Grows for Link Between Noise and Heart Disease - National Academies Launches Environmental Health Initiative - State Deems New York City’s ‘Excessive Noise a Major Challenge’ - Australia Conducts Laboratory Study on Wind Farm Noise and Sleep Disruption

Health Groups Sound Warning on Noise from Fracking Operations

Noise, air pollution, and contaminated water are among the dangers that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and associated drilling operations are imposing on people working in and living near such activities, according to a report co-authored by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and Concerned Health Professionals of New York. “Drilling and fracking operations and ancillary infrastructure expose workers and nearby residents to continuous noise and light pollution that is sustained for periods lasting many months,” the report states. “Sources of fracking-related noise pollution include blasting, drilling, flaring, generators, compressor stations, and truck traffic. Exposure to environmental noise pollution is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbance. Workers and residents whose homes, schools, and workplaces are in close proximity to well sites are at risk from these exposures, as well as from related stressors, [and] existing setback distances may not be adequate to reduce public health threats, especially for vulnerable populations.” The report documents and summarizes existing research on the subject, including studies in Europe and the United States. “Of more than 1,300 studies published on the effects of drilling and fracking, more than 90 percent have been published since 2013, and about a quarter were published in 2017 alone.” PSR warns, “If carried out, the Trump administration's plans to roll back federal regulations and expand fracking on public lands will further exacerbate these harmful impacts. With federal retrenchment on environmental and public health protections, it is imperative that more states step up and act on the scientific evidence.”  Copyright 2018 Great Circle Communications LLC No unauthorized posting, forwarding, or any other form of transmission of this material, by any means, in whole or in part, is allowed.

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