NRDC: I can't hear you: Noise pollution is a health threat near unconventional oil and gas sites
The concerns about air and water pollution resulting from the explosive growth in unconventional oil and gas development using hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) and other controversial stimulation methods have received a lot of attention recently. Increased oil and gas production using these new technologies can bring more contaminants—many of which have been linked to respiratory and neurological problems, birth defects, and cancer [1,2]—to backyards, communities, and cities. One type of pollution at oil and gas sites, however, remains woefully under-studied contrary to its public health significance: noise.
Environmental noise caused by oil and gas drilling activities is often overlooked entirely or rejected as a minor, temporary nuisance by industry and regulators alike – despite the fact that drilling and other activities at well sites are very noisy and can be close to homes. In fact, public health experts have identified noise as a ubiquitous health threat for communities near oil and gas development sites and studies have found noise levels above safety thresholds [3,4]. They note that insufficient steps have been taken to reduce noise levels in impacted communities. So why isn’t there more noise about noise?
Simply stated, environmental noise relates to the summary of ambient sound that people perceive as unwanted. It includes noise from traffic, construction, industrial and even some recreational activities. What makes sound unwanted depends on environmental factors (e.g., urban versus rural) and time of day. Generally speaking, sound becomes unwanted when it interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or diminishes quality of life (see table below for examples of noise impacts).