Noise exposure in the Netherlands: orders authorising higher limit values by source, 2001

Provincial authorities can, at the request of municipal authorities, issue orders allowing noise exposure levels that are higher than the statutory limit values. Most of the orders issued relate to road traffic.

Orders issued authorising higher limit values for noise exposure

The vast majority of the orders authorising higher limit values relate to road traffic. Rail transport accounts for a small proportion only; the number of kilometres of railway is many times less the number of kilometres of road. Industry accounts only for a limited proportion because many other directives apply and source measures are generally easier to implement.

Policy relating to noise exposure

A statutory maximum noise exposure level applies to new housing. In some cases, municipal authorities can ask the provincial executive to set higher limit values. Higher limit values for noise exposure can be approved for industry and for road and rail transport.
At present, an amendment to the Noise Abatement Act is in the preparatory stages (VROM, 2003). This amendment will be submitted to the Council of State for its recommendations in early 2004 and introduced in the course of the same year. The amendments deal with, among other things:

• Mandating municipal councils for the procedure for higher limit values. This makes it easier for municipalities and provincial authorities to make more specific local arrangements with a less demanding procedure (deregulation).
• In certain conditions, different maximum limit values can be set. High levels of noise exposure will, in these cases, have to be compensated adequately in other areas.

Technical note

In the context of the monitoring and evaluation of government performance, the Association of Provincial Authorities (IPO) questions all provincial authorities annually about their environment policy.
Monitoring government performance

References

• IPO (2002). Interprovinciale rapportage Milieu, Water, Landbouw en Natuur 2002. Association of Provincial Authorities, Lelystad. This report contains an extensive set of provincial data about the environment, water, nature and agriculture for the year 2001.
• VROM (2003, in preparation). Modernisering Instrumentarium Geluidbeleid. Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium

• Monitoring government performance
• Permits for noise from industry in the Netherlands, 1997-2002
• Noise exposure in the Netherlands: orders authorising higher limit values by province, 1997-2001
• Environmental complaints about companies in the Netherlands, 2001
• Noise nuisance in the Netherlands by source, 1990-2002
• Noise nuisance: severe nuisance, 1993 and 1998