est degree of safety of air passengers, and the protection of air commerce. None of these goods is or should be sacrificed. To conclude, we did not get everything we wanted, but I firmly believe that the mandate in the legislation is sufficiently broad. The real question now is whether the administrators are good enough— and that's what we are here to determine today. Most of the witnesses who will testify today are familiar to me. Many of them worked on various drafts of the bill, and lobbied for and against various drafts. Most of them supported the version that finally passed-and I hope that all of them, all of us, will work together to see that long-overdue relief from aircraft and airport noise becomes a reality. Finally, I would like to say that they must have closed the north runway, because I have not heard a plane go over since we got here. Senator CANNON. I must say that I have not either, and I stayed in one of the hotels there, right on the side of the airport, last night and did not hear an airplane all night long. I will now insert in the record Public Law 92-574, the Noise Control Act of 1972. [The material follows:] Public Law 92-574 92nd Congress, H. R. 11021 October 27, 1972 An Act To control the emission of noise detrimental to the human environment, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the “Noise Control Act of 1972". FINDINGS AND POLICY SEC. 2. (a) The Congress finds (1) that inadequately controlled noise presents a growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation's population, particularly in urban areas; (2) that the major sources of noise include transportation vehicles and equipment, machinery, appliances, and other products in commerce; and (3) that, while primary responsibility for control of noise rests with State and local governments, Federal action is essential to deal with major noise sources in commerce control of which require national uniformity of treatment. (b) The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health or welfare. To that end, it is the purpose of this Act to establish a means for effective coordination of Federal research and activities in noise control, to authorize the establishment of Federal noise emission standards for products distributed in commerce, and to provide information to the public respecting the noise emission and noise reduction characteristics of such products. DEFINITIONS SEC. 3. For purposes of this Act: (1) The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (2) The term "person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or association, and (except as provided in sections 11(e) and 12(a)) includes any officer, employee, department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, a State, or any political subdivision of a State. (3) The term "product" means any manufactured article or goods or component thereof; except that such term does not include (A) any aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance, as such terms are defined in section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958; or (B) (i) any military weapons or equipment which are designed for combat use; (ii) any rockets or equipment which are designed for research, experimental, or developmental work to be performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; or (iii) to the extent provided by regulations of the Administrator, any other machinery or equipment designed for use in experimental work done by or for the Federal Government. (4) The term "ultimate purchaser" means the first person who in good faith purchases a product for purposes other than resale. 86 STAT. 1234 Noise Control 72 Stat. 737. 49 USC 1301. 86 STAT, 1235 80 Stat. 379. Compliano e exemption, Presidential authority. Report to Pub. Law 92-574 - 2 October 27, 1972 (5) The term "new product" means (A) a product the equitable or legal title of which has never been transferred to an ultimate purchaser, or (B) a product which is imported or offered for importation into the United States and which is manufactured after the effective date of a regulation under section 6 or section 8 which would have been applicable to such product had it been manufactured in the United States. (6) The term "manufacturer" means any person engaged in the manufacturing or assembling of new products, or the importing of new products for resale, or who acts for, and is controlled by, any such person in connection with the distribution of such products. (7) The term "commerce" means trade, traffic, commerce, or transportation (A) between a place in a State and any place outside thereof, or (B) which affects trade, traffic, commerce, or transportation described in subparagraph (A). (8) The term "distribute in commerce" means sell in, offer for sale in, or introduce or deliver for introduction into, commerce. (9) The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. (10) The term "Federal agency" means an executive agency (as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code) and includes the United States Postal Service. (11) The term "environmental noise" means the intensity, duration, and the character of sounds from all sources. FEDERAL PROGRAMS SEC. 4. (a) The Congress authorizes and directs that Federal agencies shall, to the fullest extent consistent with their authority under Federal laws administered by them, carry out the programs within their control in such a manner as to further the policy declared in section 2(b). (b) Each department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1) having jurisdiction over any property or facility, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the emission of noise, shall comply with Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements respecting control and abatement of environmental noise to the same extent that any person is subject to such requirements. The President may exempt any single activity or facility, including noise emission sources or classes thereof, of any department, agency, or instrumentality in the executive branch from compliance with any such requirement if he determines it to be in the paramount interest of the United States to do so; except that no exemption, other than for those products referred to in section 3(3) (B) of this Act, may be granted from the requirements of sections 6, 17, and 18 of this Act. No such exemption shall be granted due to lack of appropriation unless the President shall have specifically requested such appropriation as a part of the budgetary process and the Congress shall have failed to make available such requested appropriation. Any exemption shall be for a period not in excess of one year, but additional exemptions may be granted for periods of not to exceed one year upon the President's making a new determination. The President shall report each January to the Congress all exemptions from the requirements October 27, 1972 3. Pub. Law 92-574 of this section granted during the preceding calendar year, together with his reason for granting such exemption. (c) (1) The Administrator shall coordinate the programs of all Federal agencies relating to noise research and noise control. Each Federal agency shall, upon request, furnish to the Administrator such information as he may reasonably require to determine the nature, scope, and results of the noise-research and noise-control programs of the agency. 86 STAT, 1236 Standards or regulations. Revision report request, publication in ter. (2) Each Federal agency shall consult with the Administrator in prescribing standards or regulations respecting noise. If at any time the Administrator has reason to believe that a standard or regulation, or any proposed standard or regulation, of any Federal agency respecting noise does not protect the public health and welfare to the extent he believes to be required and feasible, he may request such agency to review and report to him on the advisability of revising such standard or regulation to provide such protection. Any such request may be published in the Federal Register and shall be accompanied by a detailed statement of the information on which it is based. Such agency shall complete the requested review and report to the Administrator Federal Regiswithin such time as the Administrator specifies in the request, but such time specified may not be less than ninety days from the date the request was made. The report shall be published in the Federal Register and shall be accompanied by a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the agency respecting the revision of its standard or regulation. With respect to the Federal Aviation Administration, section 611 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (as amended by section 7 of this Act) shall apply in lieu of this paragraph. (3) On the basis of regular consultation with appropriate Federal Status report. agencies, the Administrator shall compile and publish, from time to time, a report on the status and progress of Federal activities relating to noise research and noise control. This report shall describe the noisecontrol programs of each Federal agency and assess the contributions of those programs to the Federal Government's overall efforts to control noise. IDENTIFICATION OF MAJOR NOISE SOURCES; NOISE CRITERIA AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGY SEC. 5. (a) (1) The Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and within nine months of the date of the enactment of this Act, develop and publish criteria with respect to noise. Such criteria shall reflect the scientific knowledge most useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on the public health or welfare which may be expected from differing quantities and qualities of noise. (2) The Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and within twelve months of the date of the enactment of this Act, publish information on the levels of environmental noise the attainment and maintenance of which in defined areas under various conditions are requisite to protect the public health and welfare with an adequate margin of safety. Report, publication in Federal Register. (b) The Administrator shall, after consultation with appropriate Reports. Federal agencies, compile and publish a report or series of reports (1) identifying products (or classes of products) which in his judgment are major sources of noise, and (2) giving information on techniques for control of noise from such products, including available data on the technology, costs, and alternative methods of noise control. The first such report shall be published not later than eighteen months after the date of enactment of this Act. 86 STAT 1237 Review. Reports, publication in Federal Register. Proposed regulations, effective date. Pub. Law 92-574 4. October 27, 1972 (c) The Administrator shall from time to time review and, as appropriate, revise or supplement any criteria or reports published under this section. (d) Any report (or revision thereof) under subsection (b) (1) identifying major noise sources shall be published in the Federal Register. The publication or revision under this section of any criteria or information on control techniques shall be announced in the Federal Register, and copies shall be made available to the general public. NOISE EMISSION STANDARDS FOR PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTED IN COMMERCE SEC. 6. (a) (1) The Administrator shall publish proposed regulations, meeting the requirements of subsection (c), for each product(A) which is identified (or is part of a class identified) in any report published under section 5(b) (1) as a major source of noise, (B) for which, in his judgment, noise emission standards are feasible, and (C) which falls in one of the following categories: (i) Construction equipment. (ii) Transportation equipment (including recreational vehicles and related equipment). (iii) Any motor or engine (including any equipment of which an engine or motor is an integral part). (iv) Electrical or electronic equipment. (2) (A) Initial proposed regulations under paragraph (1) shall be published not later than eighteen months after the date of enactment of this Act, and shall apply to any product described in paragraph (1) which is identified (or is a part of a class identified) as a major source of noise in any report published under section 5(b) (1) on or before the date of publication of such initial proposed regulations. (B) In the case of any product described in paragraph (1) which is identified (or is part of a class identified) as a major source of noise in a report published under section 5(b) (1) after publication of the initial proposed regulations under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, regulations under paragraph (1) for such product shall be proposed and published by the Administrator not later than eighteen months after such report is published. (3) After proposed regulations respecting a product have been published under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall, unless in his judgment noise emission standards are not feasible for such product, prescribe regulations, meeting the requirements of subsection (c), for such product (A) not earlier than six months after publication of such proposed regulations, and (B) not later than (i) twenty-four months after the date of enactment of this Act, in the case of a product subject to proposed regulations published under paragraph (2) (Á), or (ii) in the case of any other product, twenty-four months after the publication of the report under section 5(b) (1) identifying it (or a class of products of which it is a part) as a major source of noise. (b) The Administrator may publish proposed regulations, meeting the requirements of subsection (c), for any product for which he is not required by subsection (a) to prescribe regulations but for which, in his judgment, noise emission standards are feasible and are requisite to protect the public health and welfare. Not earlier than six months after the date of publication of such proposed regulations respecting such product, he may prescribe regulations, meeting the requirements of subsection (c), for such product. |