1. Conference on IMPROVEMENT AND RECOVERY
OF THE ACOUSTIC QUALITY, ACTION PLANS
20 of September of 2011
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
OF NOISE IN CATALONIA
Eduard Puig Solé, epuigs@gencat.cat
Service for the Prevention of Pollution Acoustics and Light
Directorate General of Environmental Quality
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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:
Capacity acoustics maps
Strategic noise maps
Studies of acoustic impact
Action plans, specific plans
Statement of special areas: ZARE, ZEPQA 2

2. Powers of the Department of Planning and
Sustainability
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 supra-municipal areas (more than one cities).
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.
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Powers of the Department of Planning and
Sustainability
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 supramuncipal agglomerations.
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.
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3. Crowds of people in Catalonia
Supramunicipal agglomerations:
1. Barcelonés I (> 250 000 c)
2. Barcelonès II (> 250 000 c)
3. Baix Llobregat I (> 250,000 c)
4. Baix Llobregat II (> 100,000 c)
5. Gironès (> 100,000 c)
6. Vallès Occidental I (> 100,000 c)
7. Vallès Occidental II (> 100,000 c)
Local authorities:
8. Lleida (> 100,000 c)
9. Reus (> 100,000 c)
10. Mataró (> 100,000 c)
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Viewer with information of strategic noise maps
http://sima.gencat.cat/Visors/Soroll/Inici.html 6

4. The strategic noise maps in Catalonia
Objective: To obtain data on the population exposed to different noise
levels, using GIS tools, across the population data with maps of
existing noise situation.
Benefit: strategic noise maps with minimal cost. A good compromise
between cost and precision of the tool results.
Philosophy: the money must be spent on making plans and not on
the maps.
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Those responsible for drawing up strategic noise
maps and action plans
1. Infrastructure: Holders of the infrastructure, develop and approve.
2. Agglomerations:
Local authorities. The council develops and approves.
Supra Scope: The municipality prepares and the Department of
Planning and Sustainability (DTES) approves. Approval of the Action
Plan also corresponds to DTES.
Establish performance Town 1
criteria and presentation of
results.
Coordination between
municipalities. Municipality 2
Quality control.
Technical advice.
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5. Objectives of the 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) Must establish criteria and priorities for action: 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 ,..., noise
that content 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,
including areas not sound economic, political, social,....
Recommended its internalization.
e) Lack of technical and financial resources to carry out the plan.
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6. Contents of a Plan of Action - 1
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.
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Contents of an Action Plan - 2
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.
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7. The action plans in Catalonia
Barcelonès I
Barcelonès II Establish criteria and methodology of
Baix Llobregat I format and structure of the shares (Action
Plan document).
Coordination between municipalities.
Technical advice.
Written action plan of the agglomeration
and supra Barcelona
In process of approval for its initial public
exhibition
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Classification of actions
TYPES OF SOURCES
TYPE OF ACTION
Infrastructure
REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE • Road
WITH LAW • Railway
•Air
Industry and
INCENTIVES activities
Works and
INVESTMENTS works on public
roads
Facilities and
STRATEGIES urban living
AWARENESS Planning and
urban design
Stakeholders responsible for the development and implementation
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8. 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 economic
investment, 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, ... 15
Example
Area school Ld levels> 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
• Reducing traffic in the area school, improving alternatives to private car to the
nearby residential areas. STRATEGIES
• Raise awareness 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 grates and / or
changes in the area outside of the school zone. INVESTMENTS
• Installing double glazing to protect the inside of the classroom. INVESTMENTS
Coordination
Other authorities Local Government:
involved: 1. Area Planning
1. EMT - ATM 2. Environment Area
2. DTES DMAH 3. Department of Urban Mobility
3. Dep. Education 4. Local police
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9. Thank you for your attention
Eduard Puig Solé, epuigs@gencat.cat
Service for the Prevention of Pollution Acoustics and Light
Directorate General of Environmental Quality
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