The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has submitted a letter of support for legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, (D-New York-6th District). The legislation, H.R. 3384, the "Quiet Communities Act of 2015," would reestablish and reauthorize funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Noise Abatement and Control. EPA is the federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment, which includes combating noise pollution.
The letter highlights a study conducted in 2014 that estimated that more than 104 million individuals in the United States had annual noise exposures at a level that increased their risk of noise induced hearing loss and other noise-related health effects, such as cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, stress, general annoyance, and impaired learning and concentration.