In the United States technical societies, trade groups, and testing organizations develop noise measurement standards and noise limits. Their umbrella organization is the private American National Standards Institute.
The organizations have standing standards committees the members of which include representatives of manufacturing concerns and insurance companies. There is some government representation, predominantly from the Department of Transportation, DOD, and NASA. It really doesn't matter whether government or private groups work on a standard. Through interlocking memberships on policy-level committees, industry pretty well controls what items will be considered for standards, what the criteria will be, if any, and how many years or decades it will take before a given standard is adopted as a "recommended practice." Delays are rationalized on the grounds of fairness to all parties, thoroughness, and the need for full agreement. Probably a more appropriate reason is that every year that goes by without a standard is considered an economic plus for industry.
According to one experienced member of standards working groups, if a standards committee cannot arrive at a set of standards in the time in which one could get a good technical college education (five years), then this group should resign. He believes there is no reason why standards cannot be set by two years from the time the working group is organized.
Though jet noise protests started in 1958, industry did nothing to set noise limits, and finally, in 1968, prodded by the Office of Science and Technology, Congress acted, and authorized the FAA to set noise standards.
The authorization was written in the language of the industry itself. It said that the standards should be "economically reasonable, technologically practicable and appropriate for the particular type of aircraft...to which [they] will apply." These standards, in effect, legitimize the present noise levels, for the time being. As a matter of record, the new Boeing 747, which is quite noisy, was exempted from the new standards because allegedly the plans for the plane were started prior to the certification program.
The limits of adopted standards invariably represent the noise level produced by the equipment as manufactured. Known as "defensive standards," they protect the manufacturer from the cost and inconvenience of having to quiet his products. "Conforms to the Standards of ——"is a meaningless phrase when applied to noise emissions.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is consistent in recommending the adoption of practices that will not require the quieting of existing products. The public has no cause for rejoicing in the knowledge that the SAE has a "recommended practice" for certain types of construction equipment powered by internal combustion engines, such as bulldozers, power shovels and cranes, compactors, or paving machines. The following exchange took place in the special hearing chamber of the New York City Council between a councilman and a representative of the SAE, after the SAE man testified that the recommended decibel level for construction equipment was 90 decibels at 50 feet: "How many decibels," asked the presiding chairman, Councilman Robert Low, "would 90 decibels be at 15 feet, the distance at which a New Yorker would more than likely be when passing one of those vehicles?"
The engineer stopped short, almost jabbing his aluminum pointer through his chart. He thought for a moment, and replied that the noise level would be something like 110 decibels.
"That's interesting," replied the councilman. "Mr. Baron and I were out this morning at a construction site and we winced at an air compressor making 95 decibels. Now you people are suggesting we legalize 110 decibels."
What the SAE had done in arriving at that standard, was to measure—with precision—the noise emissions of existing mobile construction equipment and adopt the results as the decibel standard.
Not only do industry standards fail their chance of promoting environmental quality and protecting human beings, but conformance to them remains voluntary. Only legislation or government regulations can force compliance.