Air quality and traffic noise. Dr Martin McVay People and Environment Division Welsh Government

Transcription

1 Air quality and traffic noise Dr Martin McVay People and Environment Division Welsh Government

2 The World Health Organization has ranked noise as the second biggest environmental contributor to the burden of disease in Europe after air pollution, and estimates that at least one million healthy life years are lost every year in western Europe due to traffic noise

3 61,000 years for ischemic heart disease 45,000 years for cognitive impairment of children 903,000 years for sleep disturbance 22,000 years for tinnitus 654,000 years for annoyance

4 In terms of wellbeing we have little doubt that a significant number of people are adversely affected by exposure to environmental noise. If it is accepted that health should be defined in such as way as to include wellbeing then these people can be said to suffer damage to their health as a result of exposure to environmental noise. There is increasing evidence that environmental noise, from both aircraft and road traffic, is associated with raised blood pressure and with a small increase in the risk of coronary heart disease. (Health Protection Agency, 2010)

5 LOCAL AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT requires local authorities to carry out regular reviews and assessments of air quality in their areas against standards and objectives in the National Air Quality Strategy, and where they are not met designate air quality management areas prepare and implement remedial action plans

6 THE ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE DIRECTIVE (2002/49/EC) requires adoption of action plans by the Member States, based upon noise-mapping results, with a view [1] to preventing and reducing environmental noise where necessary and particularly where exposure levels can induce harmful effects on human health and [2] to preserving environmental noise quality where it is good

7 BUT Most air pollution comes from road traffic Most noise comes from road traffic Road traffic air pollution maps bear a strong resemblance to road traffic noise maps (levels increase with number of vehicles and decrease with distance from sources) Unsurprisingly, air quality management areas tend to coincide with priority areas derived from noise maps

8 AND Many air pollution interventions affect noise levels and vice versa, for example: Reducing traffic flows benefits both Increasing source-receptor separation benefits both Reducing speeds on high-speed roads benefits both Reducing speeds on low-speed roads benefits noise but may worsen air quality

9 Does it make any sense to have two local traffic pollution action plans for a given area one for noise, and a separate one for air quality where noise actions and air quality actions are considered independently of one another? We think not.

10 environmentcountryside/epq/a irqualitypollution/airquality/gui dance/laqmpg09add/?lang=en

11 Wherever air quality action plans prioritise measures in terms of costs and benefits, traffic noise should receive due consideration, qualitatively if not quantitatively. Special consideration should be given to noise action planning priority areas and any other areas where a local authority considers traffic noise to be a matter of concern, where these may be subject to changes in traffic noise levels as a result of air quality management measures. This effect may not be local, for example if diverting traffic away from a location with poor air quality increases noise levels somewhere else. In drawing up an action plan, the local authority should keep a view of the wider road network in mind at all times.

12 Local authorities must make a judgement in each case as to whether the impacts of air quality action plan measures on traffic noise need to be quantified or whether they can be treated qualitatively when prioritising measures. The noise assessment should reflect local circumstances and should not be disproportionate to the scale of changes proposed.

13 The 2001 report Determination of the potential synergies and conflicts between noise and air quality action plans produced by WS Atkins for the DETR and the devolved administrations provides a useful overview of the subject. It identifies a wide range of local mitigation measures, many of which can be implemented by local authorities. It may be used as a guide provided that the user allows for changes that have taken place (e.g. to road vehicles) in the years since its publication, and realises that local circumstances must be treated as paramount when seeking the optimum suite of measures.

14 Some measures, particularly those concerned with reducing local traffic flows, may benefit both air quality and noise, though in some cases this may only hold true where speeds are not permitted to increase as a consequence. Other potential measures that can reduce both air pollution and noise include restrictions on heavy vehicles, reducing speeds on motorways and dual carriageways, and strategies to increase the separation between the source and sensitive receptors, such as by building a bypass. However, measures to reduce average speeds of traffic in urban areas, whilst generally benefiting noise, may increase emissions of air pollution. In certain cases detailed computer models may be required to determine the optimum public health outcome for a locality. The level of detail sought should sensibly reflect the scale of the changes proposed.

15 Containment of air pollution and noise through the use of tunnels, cuttings or barriers may worsen air quality for road users, including cyclists. The health of road users should not be ignored when weighing up options.

16 The Welsh Government recognises that the imperative of achieving compliance with European air quality limit values may result in negative noise outcomes in some instances. Where this occurs, it should be recorded clearly so as to inform the prioritisation of any future noise improvement initiatives.

17 FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS BY THE WELSH GOVERNMENT: Tranquil, Greener and Cleaner Places pilot grant scheme extra credit given to projects with multiple benefits A consolidated noise action plan for Wales (under development) reiterates/reciprocates the principles in the LAQM addendum, urging consideration of noise in local air quality action plans (where they exist) rather than in separate local noise action plans

18 Thank you! de/epq/noiseandnuisance/environmentalnoise/