After three years of consideration, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment has adopted a more up-to-date guideline for assessing noise impacts. “Environmental Noise Guideline Stationary and Transportation Sources – Approval and Planning, Publication NPC-300” is now in force. See NPC 300 or go to the Environmental Registry website at www.ebr.gov.on.ca and enter Registry Number 011-0597
NPC-300 replaces the three current guidelines: NPC-205, NPC-232, and LU-131 used to assess noise, from point and traffic sources.
Among other things, NPC-300 should provide a more accurate assessment of noise conflicts between existing industries and proposed new developments. It introduces a new category of Acoustic Environment with less stringent sound level requirements: “Class 4 Environment” covers areas of urban re-development close to existing industries. It would allow more onus to be put on developers to accommodate their buildings to the existing industries, instead of the other way around. However, there will be less tolerance for “infrequent” noises.
See HGC’s take on the changes here, and Valcoustic’s here.
The updated Environmental Noise Guideline (NPC-300) does not apply to wind farms. There is another separate MOE noise guideline which applies to wind farms, entitled “Noise Guideline for Wind Farms, (PIBS 4709e)”.