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Appendix H Although EPA was given major public information and federal agency coordination roles, each federal agency retains authority to adopt noise regulations pertaining to agency programs. EPA can require other federal .. agencies to justify their noise regulations in terms of the federal Noise Control Act policy requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration retains primary authority for setting workplace noise exposure standards. The Federal Aviation Administration retains primary jurisdiction over aircraft noise ` standards, and the Federal Highway Administration(FHWA)retains primary jurisdiction over highway noise standards. In 1974, in response to the requirements of the federal Noise Control Act,EPA identified indoor and outdoor noise limits to protect public health and welfare (communication disruption,sleep disturbance,and hearing damage). Outdoor Ldn limits of 55 dB and indoor Ldn limits of 45 dB are identified as desirable to protect against speech interference and sleep disturbance for residential, educational,and healthcare areas. Sound-level criteria to protect against hearing r. damage in commercial and industrial areas are identified as 24-hour Leq values of 70 dB (both outdoors and indoors). FHWA regulations(23 CFR 772)specify criteria for evaluating noise impacts associated with federally funded highway projects and for determining whether these impacts are sufficient to justify funding noise abatement actions. The FHWA noise abatement criteria are based on worst hourly L q sound levels,not Ld„or 24-hour Leq values. The worst-hour 1-hour Leg criteria for residential, educational, and healthcare facilities are 67 dB outdoors and 52 dB indoors. The worst-hour 1-hour Leq criterion for commercial and industrial areas is 72 dB (outdoors). The U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development has established guidelines for evaluating noise impacts on residential projects seeking financial support under various grant programs(44 FR 135:40860-40866,January 23, 1979). Sites are generally considered acceptable for residential use if they are exposed to outdoor Ldn values of 65 dB or less. Sites are considered"normally unacceptable"if they are exposed to outdoor Ld„values of 65-75 dB. Sites are considered unacceptable if they are exposed to outdoor Ld„values above 75 dB. State Agency Guidelines In 1987,the California Department of Health Services published guidelines for the noise elements of local general plans. These guidelines include a sound - level/land use compatibility chart that categorizes various outdoor Ld„ranges into up to four compatibility categories(normally acceptable,conditionally acceptable, normally unacceptable, and clearly unacceptable)by land use. For %W many land uses,the chart shows overlapping L&ranges for two or more compatibility categories. The noise element guidelines chart identifies the normally acceptable range for low-density residential uses as less than 60 dB and the conditionally acceptable f. H-7