UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — After years of fielding noise complaints from residents living near industrial developments, Upper Macungie Township is looking for feedback on how to change its laws.
The township will hold a workshop at 6:30 p.m. March 26 in the township municipal building to get community input on a new noise ordinance, the law that dictates how much noise businesses and residents can make.
The workshop will start the process anew with an “inside-out approach,” Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Fleischaker said.
Township staff already published a draft for an updated noise ordinance in early January.
But Fleischaker at the board meeting Thursday said he wants people at the workshop to help them create a new draft.
“My intention is to go based on what we as a group feel like community-wise we need, that we deserve, and that we can enforce."Upper Macungie Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff Fleischaker
“My intention of this is not to go based on a draft that I didn't write,” Fleischaker said.
“My intention is to go based on what we as a group feel like community-wise we need, that we deserve, and that we can enforce, and then build from there.”
What does the current law say?
Upper Macungie’s current noise ordinance has separate standards for the industrial and residential sections of the township.
In the residential district, the noise level can be a maximum of 70 decibels (dB) during the day and 65 dB at night, with exceptions such as emergency sirens.
In the industrial district, the maximum noise level at any time is 75 decibels. Board Vice Chairman Sunny Ghai said he thinks that level is too high for industrial areas that are near homes.
“I think in those cases, where you're really looking for less intense use, it would be appropriate to lower the dB and get some noise abatement improvements in those operations,” Ghai said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, "noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing."
At 85dB, damage to hearing possible after two hours of exposure, according to the website.
The CDC says decibels measure sound intensity, not the perceived loudness of the sound, which can change because of many factors, such as how much other noise is present.
“The risk of damaging your hearing from noise increases with the sound intensity, not the loudness of the sound."U.S. Centers for Disease Control website
“The risk of damaging your hearing from noise increases with the sound intensity, not the loudness of the sound,” the website states.
Fleischaker said workshop attendees will consider anecdotal evidence from residents, scientific data, policies from other municipalities and issues with enforcement to try to find the best path forward.
He encouraged all concerned residents to attend.
“We need your help," Fleischaker said. "We can't do it alone. And I want to make sure that the township is involved in crafting township policy."
The workshop will be officially announced on the township website in the coming weeks.
