noise maps

Awareness
Noise is not only a matter of living comfort but a real public health problem with a proven financial cost.

A real public health problem

Noise has effects on sleep, cardiovascular system, mental health and impacts on cognitive performance and learning. Noise is also a barrier to social diversity, as its impact on real estate values has the effect of accentuating rent differences between quiet and noisy neighbourhoods.
If noise is still a recent field of intervention for local authorities, it is more than ever a proven nuisance for residents (86% of French people say they are embarrassed by noise , IFOP poll of October 2014).
Aware of the importance of meeting citizens' expectations, Saint-Étienne Métropole has implemented a noise prevention and public information policy.

Noise Maps

In June 2002, the European Union adopted Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment of noise in the ambient environment. This Directive requires Member States to establish environmental noise mapping and environmental noise prevention plans for agglomerations with more than 100 000 inhabitants.
Saint-Etienne Métropole makes available to its partners and individuals a tool for viewing noise maps of the municipalities of the territory.
The maps that have been produced concern noise from road and rail infrastructure as well as from industries. They represent an average information of the noise level over a year. By integrating the site's environment (topology, obstacles, etc.), noise maps make it possible to assess the noise level received on the facade of the building and throughout the territory. Noise maps are not opposable documents.
These cards make it possible to:
- To obtain a reference of the sound environment of the municipalities of the territory
- To carry out an assessment of the noise exposure of sensitive populations and institutions (health and educational institutions).
- To contribute to the definition of priorities for actions to reduce noise pollution and preserve quiet areas which are the subject of the plan for the prevention of environmental noise.
- To bring these elements to the attention of the public.

Sound levels

The "day" cards use the Lden indicator while the "night" cards are based on the Ln indicator.

• The Lden is composed of the indicators "Lday, Levening, Lnight" weighted average daily over the periods from 6am to 6pm, 6pm to 10pm and 10pm to 6am. A weighting is applied to the sensitive periods of the evening (+ 5dB(A)) and the night (+ 10 dB(A)), to take into account the differences in sensitivity to noise according to the periods.
• Ln (Lnight), which isolates the period of the night, is associated with the risk of sleep disturbance.
  Noise levels are represented in increments of 5dB(A). The color scale starts at 45 dB(A).
  The scale of noise levels is as follows:
  

Sound limits

For residential buildings as well as existing educational and health institutions, limit values have been set by the European Directive 2002_49 EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (retransposed into French law in the Environmental Code and in the Order of 4 April 2006)
These noise limits are as follows:
Road:
- Lden: 68
- Lden: 68

Railway:
- Lden: 73
- Lden: 65

Industrial activity:
- Lden: 71
- Lden: 60

The exceedance of these values is shown in the maps of "threshold potential exceedance areas". These exceedances lead the competent authorities to consider or enforce noise abatement measures: soundproofing, acoustic screens, replacement of glazing, speed reductions, refurbishment...
These measures are detailed by geographical sector in [the Environmental Noise Prevention Plan] (https://www.saint-etienne-metropole.fr/sustainable development/noise control/noise prevention plan).

Noise Observatories

The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing and ADEME have chosen Saint-Etienne Métropole for the creation of noise observatories.
These make it possible to:
- Quantify in more detail the populations exposed to noise in order to optimise the actions and treatments to be implemented.
- Quantify the impact of public policies by having objective noise indicators (before-after measures)
- Evaluate the long-term impact of road and rail traffic
- Update noise maps and PPBE
- To provide a better knowledge of the noise problem in order to better define the issues in the PLU and SCOT
- Proposal for action to preserve the living environment and address critical situations in the territory