Mario de Marco
Ultimately, noise pollution matters
Noise pollution has over the years become a matter of important public concern, particularly due to its potential implications on our health and quality of life. Joseph Farrugia’s Talking Point yesterday, entitled When The Authorities Hear No Evil, raised a number of pertinent points in this regard.
It so happens that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has over the last few weeks carried out an exercise of public consultation on the draft noise action plan and strategic noise maps. The draft plan does not consider the effect of entertainment outlets on noise pollution and other forms of neighbourhood noise. Not because Mepa has purposely excluded it but because the plan was formulated to address the requirements of the EU Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC), transposed into Maltese law by the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise Regulations, 2004.
It is a peculiar feature of the EU Environmental Noise Directive that it defines “environmental noise” in a very specific sense, such as noise from designated major roads and aircraft transport sources. The directive does not cover workplace noise, construction noise, entertainment noise, noise nuisance, fireworks noise, consumer product noise and noise transmission within and between dwellings and other forms of “neighbourhood noise” that are possibly the most frequent sources of noise-related complaints in Malta.
“Neighbourhood noise”, although falling outside the parameters of the EU Noise Directive and the strategic noise maps drafted to implement it, should not and cannot be ignored or treated lightly. On the contrary, we must do our utmost to regulate this type of noise more effectively at the national level. But in doing so we must acknowledge that, at present, responsibilities for regulating noise are spread across a myriad of regulatory entities.
For example, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Trade Licensing Department and the police regulate conditions under which entertainment establishments operate and this includes conditions related to noise.
The Occupational Health and Safety Authority is involved as far as noise within the working environment is concerned.
The Department of Environmental Health steps in where there are noise-related concerns over public health.
The Building Regulations Office imposes specific conditions in relation to noise emanating from construction activities.
The police force is the primary agency for enforcing the law in relation to nuisance.
Transport Malta regulates noise from transport, while the recently-established Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority regulates noise-related parameters when placing certain types of consumer products on the market.
Local councils are at the forefront of dealing with noise-related complaints from the public and Mepa is responsible for regulating “environmental noise”.
Needless to say, all these different entities are operating under the umbrella of different legislative instruments and it does not come as a surprise that the institutional and legal framework for dealing with neighbourhood noise is consequently rather complex and, unfortunately, not as effective as it should be.
For these reasons, the government has, over the past few months, initiated a process intended to pave the way towards improving the method in which this form of pollution is controlled.
Firstly, we want to ensure that neighbourhood noise is formally recognised as a policy priority on a par with other forms of pollution. In recent weeks, we discussed neighbourhood noise among government entities and with non-governmental organisations active in this field, such as the Noise Abatement Society of Malta, which are rendering a sterling service in raising awareness on the impacts of noise pollution on health and quality of life. Several proposals have emerged from this discussion and these have been reflected in the draft National Environment Policy, which will be launched for public consultation on Monday.
The draft policy addresses the need to review legislation related to the control of neighbourhood noise, to assess the scope for legal consolidation and the possibility of introducing objective noise level standards. Acknowledging that coordination among the different agencies is the key to dealing with the noise pollution effectively, the policy further envisages the setting up of an inter-ministerial action group to coordinate response to noise-related concerns, deal with contraventions and raise public awareness on the issue.
Some of these actions are already taking place and a prominent environmental law expert has been commissioned to perform a review of existing legislation.
We want to make sure that our laws and regulations dealing with noise are simple, clear and implementable. We also want to ensure that we have clear national standards and thresholds regarding permitted level of noise from various activities and that the authorities have the necessary legal power and practical means to control the activities that exceed these thresholds.
An assessment report and re-commendations for improving the present legal framework, capacity building measures and methods to improve coordination are expected to be finalised in November.
As a result, the government will have a clear way forward on how best to consolidate our efforts in addressing noise pollution more effectively. The ultimate intention is to have a one-stop shop, whereby any citizen can refer his/her complaint regarding any noise issue to a single focal point and the complaint is then channelled to the relevant authorities and is dealt with in an effective manner because, ultimately, noise matters.
Dr de Marco is Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture
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Mr J. Borg
Sep 4th 2011, 13:36
What about noise pollution being emanated by the Arriva Buses.....espcially in city centres and late at night and early in the morning.
Joseph Borg
Sep 4th 2011, 07:24
Mepa must stop giving permits to Bars which are situated among residents. Our towns and villages must not become mini-pacevilles. The MTA is also responsible for extending the opening hours of such Bars. Innocent residents are facing all the noise pollution while others are sleeping happily away from the noise that they have issued a permit for. How easy it is for the P S to comment and brush off responsibility from the shoulders of the ministry and related institutions! The time has come to call white white and black black : you are all responsible for the noise around us. Shoulder your responsibilities and stop such permits !
Ms Monica Muscat
Sep 3rd 2011, 19:44
Thank you Dr. de Marco, for your very enlightening article. It has finally answered many questions - as to whom to go to for different types of infringements to the law - but am afraid it leaves us nowhere as to an immediate solution to the problem.
At the time of writing I have just been disturbed by a speeding "super bolide" racing down our street.
This afternoon, (Saturday), round about mid-day, a concrete mix parked next door to us and started mixing and hauling concrete on to the roof of the would-be Chamber of Judges! The noise has now kept us company for several months - and promises to be present for many more - but, is there not a law that stipulates that no noisy work should be carried out before 3:00 p.m.? Who is respondable to check similar infringements.
And what about the noise emitting from speeding cars with their Sterios blastng full on? Or impatient drivers hooting their horns in a traffic jam, even though they know that there is an obstruction that cannot be avoided or removed right away?
So you see, your answers, though welcome, provoke other questions. I think that first and foremost the authorities must concentrate on the enforcement of existing laws. No easy task, seeing that our nationals are rather adverse to any discipline or order.
Thanks again for your article. At least now on whose door to knock when different situations arise. Please rest assured I do not mean to be critical of your writing, just in the mood of mentioning a thing or two which have been bothering me for quite some time.
Mr Edward Mallia
Sep 3rd 2011, 17:36
I suggest that the first, polished sentence of the second para. sums it (Mepa action, that is) up beautifully.
The EU has been threatening us for years about our neglect of noise levels from various sources. Quite by chance, 'over the last few weeks...' etc. Still, better late, even very late than never. However, we would to be sure, welcome some hint of a sense of urgency.
G G Debono
Sep 3rd 2011, 14:06
The question of (noisy) entertainment lasting until the morning hours goes beyond the noise of which normal, reasonable people rightfully complain. The other side sinister of the coin is the strong commercial pressures on our youth based on the profit factor of the entertainment industry who try to squeeze every last penny out of young people by keeping their premises open as long as possible ---- irrespective of the corrosive effect of the binge drinking, which they do their best to encourage in the pursuit of profit, and the effect of sleep deprivation on their performance at work or study…
It is also symptomatic of the phenomenal boredom of much of our youth who grow up lacking in imagination so that they need to be actively entertained so as not to be “bored”. In all fairness it must be said that this phenomenon is also a sign of the failure of successive governments to provide a healthy environment through our national short-sighted obsession with property development and encouragement of profiteering from whatever available source – irrespective of the harm done. Consequently we have the entertainment industry exploiting and preying on our youngsters who are growing up with a totally distorted view on personal development because our surroundings encourage unhealthy soft lifestyle options in the first place and commercial pressures are such that our youth has have been deprived of the initiative to entertain themselves.
Mr Karl Consiglio
Sep 3rd 2011, 13:03
@Mario De Marco,
If you are truly concerned, then ban summer fireworks!
Mr Alex Ellul
Sep 3rd 2011, 12:11
Noise. There's noise that we have to accept as part of our daily life. There's noise that can be mitigated, reduced and then there's the type of noise that we can easily remove from our daily lives. Let's start with the easy ones, the latter type. All it takes is a little courage:
Noisy vehicles. This can be solved by applying the law. (VRT?)
Hunting close to residences. (Hunters start shooting as early as 6am) and this is the type of noise which our brain cannot eliminate from it conciousness, since it is not a continuous hum, but a series of bangs occuring unexpectedly and without any sequence at all. It gets on your nerves.
Some hawkers utilise power horns to announce their arrival, but at least these guys are trying to earn a living and I accept it. But if only they can reduce the decibels a bit...
Andy Farrugia
Sep 3rd 2011, 11:42
"Ultimately, noise pollution matters": do you really mean it, dear Parliamentary Secretary? So, how about trying to see to the problems caused to residents in Bishop Labini Street, B'Kara, every year at the beginning of August, when the street is shanghaied by vested interests, aided and abetted by the local council and the Police Commissioner, in order to blast us with high decibel music as well as reducing us to prisoners in our own homes? We do not need platitudes, dear PS, we need action.
Mr Lawrence Mifsud
Sep 3rd 2011, 11:29
"The draft plan does not consider the effect of entertainment outlets on noise pollution and other forms of neighbourhood noise"..... When will it be considered?
Given all those Authorities taking care of noise pollution, someone living abroad would think that Malta is quite as if an entire cemetery..
Dr Anthony Licari
Sep 3rd 2011, 10:38
By coincidence I wrote this morning to Dr De Marco, before I saw his article above, asking whether the Malta Tourism Authority issued permits related to musical noise till 4 am as stated in the opinion of Mr Joseph Farrugia Dr De Marco cites above. I am sure that many readers would appreciate a direct reply regarding whether permits are issued by the MTA for loud entertainment till 4 am.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Sep 3rd 2011, 16:01
Dr Licari musical noise till 4 am falls under the category of Money and Politics....Think about that. Remember the phrase, money talks and bullsh.t walks? Irest my case.
John Caruana
Sep 3rd 2011, 10:38
Kull fejn mort fid-dinja qatt ma smajt dan l-istorbju kollu ta' SILENCERS (????). JIsta xi hadd jiehu passi biex certi karoizzi taz-zghazagh inaqqsu l-hsejjes?