This presentation is an overview of the development of action plans against noise in Catalonia.

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Conference on RECOVERY AND IMPROVE THEConference on RECOVERY AND IMPROVE THE
QUALITY ACOUSTICS, action plansQUALITY ACOUSTICS, action plans
Eduard Puig Solé, epuigs@gencat.cat
Service for the Prevention of Pollution Acoustics and Light
Directorate General of Environmental Quality
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
OF NOISE IN THE

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Noise Management
What is sound management?
The management of environmental noise can be understood as the
set of tools and strategies that aim to avoid, prevent or reduce the
noise to which the population is exposed and the preservation and /
or improving the acoustic quality of the territory .
Tools and Strategies:
Maps acoustic capacity
Strategic noise maps
Studies of acoustic impact
Action plans, specific plans
Statement of special areas: ZARE, ZEPQA

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1. Controlling noise pollution from transport infrastructure.
2. The temporary suspension of the objectives of sound quality in
case of public works infrastructure owned by the Government of
Catalonia.
3. Declaring areas of supra-municipal area.
4. Provide technical support, administrative law and necessary for
the preparation of strategic noise maps for local governments
and infrastructure owners.
5. Coordinate and approve the strategic noise maps of a
metropolitan-wide supra.
6. Gather the strategic noise maps and to comply with the reporting
requirements of Directive 2002/49/EC of 25 June.
Competences of the Department of Planning and
Sustainability

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7. Declaring an area of ​​special protection for sound (ZEPQA) in
areas not included in land development.
8. Coordinate and approve action plans regarding noise from the
crowded field of supra.
9. Report of the action plans relating to noise pollution of the big
roads, railways, major airports and ports.
10. To support the work of inspection and control of noise pollution,
when requested local authorities.
11. Managing the system of accreditation and monitoring bodies for
the prevention of noise pollution.
Competences of the Department of Planning and
Sustainability

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Crowds of people in Catalonia
Scope supra:
1. Barcelona I (> 250 000 c)
2. Barcelona II (> 250 000 c)
3. Baix Llobregat (> 250,000 c)
4. Baix Llobregat II (> 100,000 c)
5. Girones (> 100,000 c)
6. Vallès Occidental (> 100,000 c)
7. Vallès Occidental II (> 100,000 c)
Local authorities:
8. Lleida (> 100,000 c)
9. Reus (> 100,000 c)
10. Mataro (> 100,000 c)

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Viewer with information on strategic noise maps
http://sima.gencat.cat/Visors/Soroll/Inici.html

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Objective: To obtain data on existing population through GIS, using
existing information from existing maps of acoustic situation.
The strategic noise maps in Catalonia
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Benefit: Strategic noise maps with minimal cost. A good
compromise between cost and precision of the results must find.
Philosophy: The money must be spent on making plans and not on
the maps.

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Makers strategic noise maps and Action Plans
1. Infrastructure: Holders of the infrastructure, develop and approve.
2. Agglomerations:
Local authorities. The council develops and approves.
Scope supra: The municipality prepares and the Department of Planning
and Sustainability (DTES) coordinate and approves. Approval of the
Action Plan must also: DTES.
Town 1
Municipality 2
Establish performance
criteria and presentation of
results.
Coordination between
municipalities.
Quality control.
Technical advice.

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Action Plans
a) Tackling global issues that relate to noise pollution in the areas
concerned.
b) Determine the priority actions to be performed if it exceeds the
emission limit values ​​​​​​​​or emission targets or fails to sound quality.
c) Protect the quiet areas in agglomerations and open country against
the increase in noise pollution.
Determine, through action plans, actions to be performed and the
timetable for implementation over a period of five years to achieve
the objectives set out in the previous section.

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Problems in the preparation of action plans
a) Should set performance criteria and prioritization: On passing levels
on population ratios of benefit / cost measures, to define areas that
are quiet.
b) Although there is a minimum content that must contain a plan of
action: Directive 2002/49, Decree 176/2009, Law 37/2003, ..., that is
too generic.
c) The action plans should contain specific corrective measures, the
financial investment. It is difficult for local authorities to work with
medium and long term budgets.
d) The decisions of implementation and execution of an action plan, ar
not only acoustics. Other criteria as economic, political, social, ....
must be avaluated. Recommended its internalization.
e) Lack of technical and financial resources to carry out the plan.

11. The description of the agglomeration, the major roads, major railway
lines or major airports and other sources considered;
The responsible authority;
The legal context;
The emission limits established under the map of acoustic capacity;
The summary of the results of noise mapping tasks;
The evaluation of the estimated number of people exposed to noise,
identification of problems and situations that must be improved;
The relationship of the allegations or observations received in
processing public information;
The measures already implemented to reduce noise and projects in
preparation;
Contents of a Plan of Action - 1
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12. The actions envisaged by the competent authorities for the next
five years, including measures to protect the quiet areas;
The long-term strategies;
The financial information (if available): budgets, cost-effectiveness
assessments or cost-benefit;
The provisions for evaluating the implementation and results of the
action plan.
Contents of an Action Plan - 2
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13. Written action plan agglomeration supra
Barcelonès I
The action plans in Catalonia
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In process of approval for its initial public
exhibition
Barcelonès I
Barcelonès II
Baix Llobregat I
Establish criteria and methodology of
format and structure of the shares (item
PA).
Coordination between municipalities.
Technical advice.
To create the supra-document of the
agglomeration, and approval.

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Classification actions
TYPE OF ACTION
REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE
WITH LAW
INVESTMENTS
STRATEGIES
AWARENESS
INCENTIVES
TYPES OF SOURCES
Infrastructure
•Road
•Railway
• Air
Industry and
activities
Works and
works on public
roads
Planning and
urban design
Facilities and
urban living
Stakeholders responsible for the development and implementation

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Structure of the Action Plan document
In each action is performed, a summary table with the following format:
[1] Type of action: There are 5 types of actions as: regulation and compliance, economic incentives and non economic
incentives, investments, strategic actions, awareness and consciousness.
[2] Priority: High, medium or low
[3] agent that promotes action: Who supports this action, for example the technical services of the council.
[4] agent who directed the action: For whom or who benefits from this action, for example the group of carriers
[5] Description / purpose: A brief description of the action.
[6] Monitoring: If any monitoring has been done and what, for example, periodic measurements of noise levels
[7] Field of activity: outreach in the town: local or global
[8] Resources: economic expenditure if quantifiable
[9] Benefit: If the expected benefit can be obtained, with decreased levels, affected population, ...

16. Area school levels Ld > 70 dB(A) due to vehicle traffic in the streets in the area.
Possible actions to perform:
• To reduce traffic passing through, with speed reductions, etc. ... and introducing
facilities for the traffic passing choose other alternative routes. STRATEGIES
• Reduce the Traffic school in the area, improving alternatives to private car to the
nearby residential areas. STRATEGIES
• Raise and inform users of the area school for the existence of alternative
transport. AWARENESS
• To encourage travel within the school area, with economic sales, using public
transportation. INCENTIVES
• Installation of exterior walls of the school area, replacing the metal railings and
redesign the area outside the school area. INVESTMENTS
• Installing double glazing to protect the inside of the classroom. INVESTMENTS
Coordination
DMAH
Local administration
1. Area Planning
2. Area of Environment
3. Area of Mobility Urban
4. Local police
Other authorities involved :
1. EMT - ATM
2. DTES
3. Dep. Education
Example

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Thank you for your attention
Eduard Puig Solé, epuigs@gencat.cat
Office for the Prevention of noise pollution
Directorate General of Environmental Quality